Children of the Future
by Zero Unit RGB
Summary: A group of 32 kids find themselves against the greatest evils in the multiverse as they sojourn through the Digital World in an attempt to free it from the chains of darkness. The rest of the Chosen Children remain on Earth where they must fight to protect their world from devastation and evil. How will they fare against the cruel Demon Lords? Sequel to Children of the Present.
1. Prologue: We Meet Again

**Okay, so I was not expecting the first few weeks of college to be so rough though it is a lot of fun. I packed my things and moved one state over and my new laptop isn't the best but it works. Nothing is late but I'm just telling you guys this as fair warning. Don't expect super speedy updates. Anyway, here is the prologue to Future and I hope you guys enjoy! As a reminder...**

 **Azulongmon Sector: TK, Takato, Jeri, Ai, Tommy, Shinya, Kristy, Taiki**

 **Zhuqiaomon Sector: Davis, Kari, Rika, Ryo, Kenta, Kouji, JP, Nene**

 **Ebonwumon Sector: Yolei, Ken, Henry, Mako, Zoey, Kouichi, Relena, Kiriha**

 **Baihumon Sector: Cody, Suzie, Kazu, Risa, Takuya, Yutaka, Keenan, Yuu**

 **-X-**

 **December 21: Hypnos Rooftop - 9:18 AM**

Tai opened the door leading to the roof and saw Rinchei seated near the edge, eyes trained on the horizon as if there was something important to find there. The Chosen Child could make a good guess on what his former senpai was thinking of. Tai approached the older boy and lightly tapped Rinchei's shoulder.

"Tai?" Rinchei flinched.

"Sorry if I surprised you," Tai chuckled, sitting himself down beside the older teen. "I noticed that you had disappeared while Bokomon was reading those Demon Lord origin stories to us. So I thought I'd look for you."

A small smile graced Rinchei's lips. "Thanks, but I'm okay. You don't have to worry about me, those stories were just so sad to me." He looked down to the streets. "Many of the Demon Lords didn't deserve their fates and Angewomon… I wonder if she had jumped from a height this high."

"Rinchei…"

"Don't worry, I don't plan on doing anything stupid."

The two of them sat in silence as they wandered off somewhere in their memories, back to their days in high school. They never had to worry about an apocalypse of a digital nature back then despite being aware of the grim possibilities. No, they dealt with normal teenage things, frivolous means to gain popularity, attempts to be invisible, vicious rumors, the occasional bully, tough teachers, and complaining about schoolwork.

"I've been thinking…," Tai mumbled, bringing them both back. "Back then, you were pushed around a lot, right?"

Rinchei grimaced but he nodded. "Yeah, that's how I met you and Matt. You two were walking home from your respective clubs when you saw a couple of jerks from my class harassing me. You guys protected me even though you didn't know me."

"It was the right thing to do," Tai chuckled. "But to be honest, that wasn't the first time we had met."

"It wasn't?"

Tai shook his head as he leaned back. "It was the first time we talked to each other, sure. But the first time we met was during your first year. I was still in ninth grade but I decided to drop a surprise visit on Joe just to mess with him. You two were in the same class and friends so when I scared Joe, I ended up scaring you too." He laughed a little out of nostalgia. "I never actually apologized to you for that so I want to do it now."

Rinchei felt like cracking up, Tai was taking the time during such a dire situation to apologize for a trivial incident from years ago. But it was nice, kind of pleasant to talk about something remotely normal when everything else was on a downward spiral.

"It's fine, I'd forgotten all about that," Rinchei laughed.

"Yeah, I guess so," Tai shrugged. "After all, it's such a minor thing in the scope of everything else."

Once the laughter settled down, Rinchei remembered something that had been weighing on his mind. The eldest Wong sibling gave his former kohai a serious look. "Tai, when we were still high school students, do you remember Kurosaki-sensei?"

"Now that I think about it," Tai frowned. "I don't think so."

"I wonder… Just who is Masamune Kurosaki? And what role does he play?" Rinchei mused.

Tai knew this was a serious subject but he wanted to take a chance to talk about something else, something that had been bothering him ever since Rinchei left the room. "Hey, you, uh, don't have to answer if you're uncomfortable with this but I wanted to know, what did your bullies do to you?"

"Where's this coming from?" Rinchei smiled. Tai noted how it didn't reach his eyes.

"A couple of days ago… I was delivering bread in Shinjuku when I noticed a guy that looked familiar to me. As it turned out, he was one of the guys who had assaulted you during that time I first stepped in," Tai explained. "He was… holding up an issue of your manga and he had written something pretty derogatory on it."

"Tai… You said I didn't have to answer if I wasn't comfortable, right?"

Tai knew it at this point, what happened. Rinchei had left during the story about Angewomon, the beautiful Digimon whose purity had been defiled. "No, you don't have to say anything you don't want to right now."

"I…," Rinchei sniffed. Was he starting to cry? "I can't talk about these things, not now…"

"I know…"

They heard the sound of a door creaking open and when they turned to see who it was, they noticed that pretty much all the Chosen Children were approaching them. For a moment, Tai wondered if something happened, like another evil Digimon invasion but none of them seemed tense or battle ready, just fatigued. It was likely that they just came here for some fresh air after trying to calm down hysterical parents and trying to stay in contact with the teams in the Digital World.

"Apparently, Rumiko had no idea that Risa and Rika were in contact with each other," Yoshino huffed in frustration. "She was so calm at first but when she heard that her non-Tamer daughter was in the other world too, the woman nearly passed out!"

"She's just worried about Risa," said Sora. "I mean… Even the ones with partners… Our parents are still worried."

Matt looked over at Tai and noticed Rinchei furiously wiping at his eyes. "Hey, you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," Rinchei tried to brush off with a chuckle. He slowly stood back up and almost stumbled forward, thankfully, he got caught by Tai who started leading him back inside, saying something about helping the older boy get some rest.

"Guys, I'm really worried," Airu muttered, placing her chin on her knees. "I mean, the Demon Lords can resurrect any enemy Digimon we've ever faced in our lifetime, it's not just limited to our foes either. Bad guys that had fought against Mr. McCoy and his team decades ago are even returning to enact revenge. But what if some serious evil comes back? What if…" She hesitated, glancing over to Ryouma and they all knew what Digimon she was worried about.

"Quartzmon," Ryouma finished for her. "That thing can multiply and Kuroku had to bring together heroes from other dimensions, from when they were at their peak to help fight. If Quartzmon comes back and stronger than ever…"

"Hey!" Marcus snapped. "We're stronger than we were at our peaks too!"

Izzy nodded as he opened up his laptop and quickly pulled up a world map, showing blinking lights all over the place. "Not to mention, this time, we have Chosen Children, Tamers, DATS members, and Hunters from all across the globe to help us if something of that nature does occur."

"But it's not the _Digimon_ enemies I'm worried about," Yoshino bit the inside of her thumb.

"Yggdrasil," Thomas nodded. "Known as a God, if they can bring that monster back from the dead…"

The door leading to the roof opened up again and Tai stepped out, followed closely behind by Robert McCoy who did not look very happy, he seemed to have heard their glum conversation up to this point and wanted to add his own contributions.

"You should all be prepared in case a fight breaks out," Robert warned them, closing the door behind him. "There is one in particular you should be wary of, the D-Reaper." They all stiffened as they thought about the red blob that nearly swallowed the world and by all technical means, it was never destroyed, not by the Tamers at least. "It deletes everything that it comes into contact with and I'm ashamed to have been one of the programmers of it. But Shibumi must feel worse…"

"Why?" inquired Ren.

"Shibumi has made a lot of mistakes in his past. One of them… He created Apocalymon."

Tai and his group gaped at the old man when those words hit them like a freight train. The others, who had seen the Digimon show, were all aware of the Digimon that the Monster Maker spoke of, a creature of sorrow who wanted to destroy all humanity.

"Manufacturing your own digital manifestation has always been dangerous work," Izzy mused. "Kimeramon, the D-Reaper, Diaboromon, and now we can add Apocalymon to that list of abominations. Guilmon seems to be the only one that didn't lose control, could it be because of Takato and their bond?"

"I think it's more than that," Mimi shook her head. She wasn't one to theorize but she felt like this fell into her forte rather than in someone who thought scientifically. "I think it all depends on the emotion you put into your creation. The D-Reaper was created without much thought, a deletion program. Kimeramon was made for destruction and Diaboromon was created out of the desire for more than was given. But Guilmon, he was created by a wish to be real and to have an adventure like we did. I think something like that has a positive effect on the creation."

"But it's not like Wallace created Diaboromon with ill intentions in mind," Sora pointed out.

"I suppose…"

Robert cleared his throat to regain their attention once more. "Either way, I came to tell you all to be careful. Without the stronger Tamers, if we were to be attacked by the D-Reaper, we would have no means of sending any of you into it to destroy the core like we had Takato do years ago."

"Because it deletes everything it touches," Thomas mumbled.

Sora shuddered at the prospect of having to fight such an enemy. Five years ago, she and her friends had to helplessly watch the world get eaten alive because they had no access to their own partners at the time but when they watched buildings getting deleted from existence just from contact, she worried that even if their partners' power had been available to them, they wouldn't have stood a chance against something like that.

"Hopefully, it won't come to that," the redhead said.

Tagiru stood up suddenly, he never liked talk that bummed him out. "Come on guys! Even if this D-Reaper comes to attack us, we're more than capable of taking it on because no matter what, we'll figure out a way."

"That's easy to say but it's a heck of a lot harder to do," Zenjirou sighed.

Akari nodded in agreement. "It's like Mr. McCoy said, we have no means of going into the red blob like the Tamers did."

"But if it came to it, if the D-Reaper really did return and start an assault on our world, you guys are saying that you would give up without even trying?" Tagiru continued, a fire raging in his heart though he didn't sound angered; he was more excited if anything. "Taiki left us behind to protect this world. Not just him, Davis, Takato, Takuya, and everyone else is depending on us to defend the Earth. We'll figure it out and even if we can't, we can still keep fighting!"

Tai chuckled, fully amused as Marcus was grinning widely nearby, spoken like a true leader of the Chosen Children.

"The young just seem to grow faster and faster," Matt grinned. "Tagiru, what you just said is probably exactly what Tai would've said once upon a time if we were feeling unmotivated or defeated about a seemingly impossible fight to win."

"Marcus would've said something similar too," Yoshino added.

The Hunters seemed surprised by what the older kids were saying and how bemused they all looked. Even the two members of the Xros Heart Army had to admit that they weren't experienced enough to believe in the impossibility of impossible, not like these guys.

Sora looked at each of their smiling faces in turn and she didn't want to say what was on her mind, that she was afraid. This wasn't like any of their battles in the past, the Demon Lords have declared war on them and there were so many enemies of the past they had to face. Sora loved everyone here, no matter how long she had known them, she also loved all the kids that had left earlier that morning and she just couldn't stand the thought of a loss of any one of them. Wars are not without casualties, after all.

There was no need to say anything she didn't want to though as an alarm started blaring from inside the building. The door swung open and Daisy yelled at everyone to get back inside to see what was happening with their world.

They ran inside, automatically gaining an air of professionalism, as if fighting Digimon was a serious part of their career which in its own way was exactly what it had become. They got into the room that was surrounded by a grid, rapidly blinking lights showing all over Japan, though according to Riley, none were as powerful as the Demon Lords.

"They're still off the charts!" Megumi gasped.

"There are three particular clusters to be checked out!" Miki informed their superiors.

Yamaki and Samson noticed the DigiDestined marching towards them so they quickly briefed them on the three gates that suddenly opened in their country. Each one had a powerhouse Digimon pass through and then their own individual armies.

"There's a pirate ship in Tokyo bay," Riley reported. "The Digimon on board are all chanting something really weird but it's having a hypnotizing effects on people in the vicinity, as if they're going into some sort of trance!"

"There are several powerful signals near the base of Mount Fuji, in Aokigahara Forest," Tally added before shuddering, that place was known for a multitude of suicides, creepy. "There's also one in Hokkaido's capital, Sapporo."

Zenjirou's X-Loader blinked and Ballistamon's voice came out of it. "That first one has to be Olegmon! Please, Zenjirou, we have to go there, Olegmon is supposed to be our friend! I can't stand the thought of the Demon Lords making him fight for evil again!"

"Uh, right, of course," Zenjirou nodded.

"If he's fighting in the water, let me come with you," Joe offered.

"I'll go too," Izzy added. "Taiki had his suspicions that these Dark Generals would come back and he warned me about this chant of Olegmon's. I was able to rig a sound frequency on my laptop that should be able to interfere with it so we don't get hypnotized as well."

Thomas offered to join them as well and the group of four set off immediately, leaving the rest to wonder about the other Digimon.

"The Digimon showing up in Aokigahara are all dragon Digimon," Marcus noticed. He punched his open palm and it was clear that he was fired up. "Agumon and I will go there!"

"That's Dorbickmon, it's got to be!" Gumdramon piped up from Tagiru's X-Loader. "I was in Dragon Land while he was ruling, I always wanted to give that big jerk a piece of my mind but at the time, he was too powerful for me. Let's take him on, Tag!"

"Yeah, let's do it!" Tagiru grinned.

"Let Matt and I come with you guys," Tai quickly cut in before the hotheads could run off.

"You guys can't be expected to fight an army alone," Matt nodded in agreement.

"That last one is probably a Dark General too," Akari muttered, worry set on her brow. It was strange that all the others had come with armies backing them up and while the camera feed in Sapporo was showing all kinds of Digimon running around, none of them were giving off a digital signal.

"Splashmon," Dorulumon grimaced. "I am sure of it. Somehow, each of these Dark Generals are marked upon one of us. Somehow, we are connected to them. I would call it fate but I believe it has to do with the Demon Lords' planning. Ballistamon was a machine created by Olegmon, Gumdramon was once a resident living under Dorbickmon's tyranny; there is no doubt in my mind that Splashmon is the one who I am connected to."

"I see…," said Akari.

Mimi suddenly jumped forward and hugged her underclassman. "Don't worry! You'll have us girls to back you up if you get into trouble!"

"Right," Sora nodded. "Garudamon can get us to Sapporo quickly."

"No matter what, we'll take them down," Yoshino added.

It was right after they had all left the building that another alarm started ringing, showing three more Digimon signals, all rather powerful, blinking in the ruins that were once Shibuya. Ryouma, Ren, and Airu were glad that they had chosen to stay behind.

Alice stopped the Hunters from running out of the room. "Are you three sure you'll be okay by yourself? The others all have more experienced and powerful Chosen Children with them, you guys have only been with your partners for three years. Are you all certain that you can win by yourselves?"

The trio of best friends glanced at each other and as Tagiru's rooftop speech came ringing in their ears, they all nodded, determination etched into their faces. "Even if it seems impossible, we can't stop fighting," they replied simultaneously.

"We can't stop them," Yamaki stated. "And if we leave those three Digimon threats alone, they can do a lot of damage."

"Go," Samson added. "If you get into trouble, we'll send in auxiliary DigiDestined to help you."

"Right!"

 **December 21: File Island - 9:27 AM**

It took forever for them to convince Ai and Shinya to stay behind with Elecmon but eventually, the two humans without partners were persuaded to be babysitters. Jeri even made a slight implication towards Shinya that if he bonded with one of the Digimon, he might get a D-Power and become a Tamer which instantly had him running around the cradles and speaking baby language.

The group that was about to climb the mountain joined up with Tommy who had his hands pressed to the ground and his eyes closed. The island was huge but being in the Digital World made the young boy feel closer to home so his heightened senses felt stronger than ever before. He soon opened his eyes and turned to the others.

"I feel a lot of Digimon to the east of the mountain, most likely it's the Sun-Wheel army," the Warrior told them. "To the southwest, I felt some sort of wispy shadow. If I had to guess, that would be NeoDevimon. There's a forest to the northwest so I would assume that would be where my target is."

"And Devimon?" inquired TK.

Tommy pointed upwards. "The summit."

"Creepy but impressive," Kristy nodded.

Taiki quickly took up the leadership position. "Okay, we all have our assignments but keep in mind that if things get too dangerous, go back to Primary Village." TK took note of how the brunet was looking in his direction, since this statement was especially made towards him. "No matter what sort of affiliation you have with the enemy, you've got to take them down for the sake of File Island. But this doesn't mean you can take any risk necessary to win, the important thing is to stay alive."

"Got it," they all nodded before splitting up.

Taiki and Takato got started on their trek to fight an army led by a member of the Olympos XII with a large group of Digimon following behind them as their backup. Jeri and Kristy took off on the back of Aquilamon, flying right for NeoDevimon's location. Tommy evolved into Korikakumon before heading to his destination and TK took flight on the back of Pegsasusmon.

"TK…," Pegasusmon whinnied.

The blond boy placed a reassuring hand on the equestrian's neck. "Don't worry. After last time, I don't plan on taking any dangerous risks. This time, we'll take down Devimon but without the price of your life or anyone else's for that matter."

Pegasusmon nodded. "Right."

 **December 21: Frozen Palace - 9:28 PM**

As soon as they entered the building, Kouji made a face. "There's a stench in the air," he muttered. "I recognize it…"

Ryo was impatient as it was so he didn't really hear what the younger boy had said as he continued marching forward, calling Rika's name and for IceDevimon to show up and fight like a man. The Legendary Warrior of Light realized what he was smelling soon enough as he shot forward and pulled Ryo back, just as a blur came down from the ceiling crashing into the spot where the Tamer had just been standing.

JP took out his D-Tector as he realized who it was as well. "Grumblemon!"

"Warrior of Thunder, me get revenge for what you did to Grumblemon!" the Warrior of Earth glowered.

"I see you're still as illiterate as ever," Kouji scoffed.

Mervamon quickly grabbed Kouji and pulled him out of the way of a frozen claw reaching out from the floor, ready to grab onto the boy's ankle. The Warrior thanked Nene's partner before glaring at the cackling IceDevimon rising from the frozen floor.

"You!" Ryo snapped.

JP stopped his classmate from running forward. "This isn't the same IceDevimon that took Rika. This is the one that _we_ know."

The two Warriors enveloped themselves in data cocoons and reappeared as Beetlemon and Lobomon.

"We'll take care of things on this floor, you guys keep heading upstairs," Lobomon told them. "I can smell Rika's scent though it's a little faint, she's on the top floor! Better hurry, I smell someone else with her and there's something not right about his scent."

"Right," the others nodded as they started up the stairs.

Grumblemon tried to stop them by crushing them with his hammer but Beetlemon protected them from getting hit and absorbing the blow in his own palms. He still sunk downwards though, creating a web-like crack in the ice.

"Be careful!" Kari called back.

"No problem!" Beetlemon grunted. "Just save Rika!"

 **December 21: Bokomon's Mansion - 9:29 AM**

Relena wasn't comfortable, not after hearing the origin stories of the Demon Lords. Her eyes were fixated on the bookshelf where Bokomon had just returned the book and she wondered about the credibility of those stories.

"Most of the Demon Lords used to be good Digimon," Relena shook her head. "They were corrupted by worse Digimon than them…" She turned to the others and noticed that none of them were nearly as sympathetic as she was towards their enemies, probably because they had been doing this much longer than she had.

Ken did understand to some extent though. "Relena… The Demon Lords have done terrible things. It's true that they were once good, but that's been several millennia ago, and we don't even know if those stories are true."

"Well, maybe we can be bring them back!" Relena tried.

Kiriha shook his head. "As much as we'd like to believe that there is goodness in every Digimon, sometimes, the only choice we have is to fight them."

"It's the truth, Relena," Henry nodded. "When I first became a Tamer, I refused to let Terriermon to fight at all. It wasn't long before I realized just how dangerous some Digimon can be and that the only way to stop them from causing that destruction, is by fighting them. You saw what the Demon Lords are capable of. Barbamon, by himself, destroyed such a huge part of Shibuya… Imagine what would happen if all seven attacked the human world together."

Zoey placed a comforting hand on the other girl's shoulder just when her D-Tector started beeping erratically. The symbol for the Warrior of Darkness was on the screen which meant that it was Kouichi who was trying to contact them. She quickly picked up but instead of hearing her teammate's voice, Yolei's scream for help filled the air.

" _K-Kouichi! Stay… I'm trying… there… Dusk… Help!"_

One word struck a chord in Zoey, even Bokomon and Neemon caught it and they were all up, ready to go. The others didn't know that they were all thinking about Duskmon, the corrupted Warrior of Darkness that almost took their lives but they did know that this was urgent and they had to drop everything to save them, quick.

"Ranamon," Zoey suddenly gasped.

"What?" the others blinked.

Zoey's eyes darted to the window and they noticed that rain was hitting the glass pretty hard. That was when everyone heard the terrified screams of the citizens in town, running from the acidic downpour that was practically burning their skin off.

They rushed out the door and Zoey immediately took the form of Kazemon, manipulating the air around them to make an umbrella made out of the air itself. The fairy listened closely to the annoying laugh of the Warrior of Water and was able to find her fairly quickly. "You guys follow the signals and save Kouichi and Yolei! Bokomon and Neemon, you guys stay inside and stay safe! I'll take care of Ranamon and try to join you guys as soon as I can."

"Got it!"

 **December 21: Wicked Tower - 9:30 AM**

Takuya led them right into the tower but as soon as they entered, they realized something very wrong in there. The Warrior of Fire knew instantly where they were and he swore under his breath for ending up in the same exact situation as he had three years ago.

"Sakkakumon…," he muttered.

A hearty laughter filled their ears and it was confirmed to be the Legendary Warrior of Steel. "It has been such a long time, hasn't it Warrior of Fire? I don't suppose you've forgotten about me, have you? I would hope not, because I most certainly did not forget what you did to me."

"Friend of yours?" Yuu huffed.

"Yeah… He and I go way back," Takuya replied spitefully.

The Warrior of Fire explained to them what had happened to his team the last time they were trapped inside this monster, about how they had been separated and their moves were copied by the Warrior of Steel depending on which ones they used inside. So if they weren't careful in here, they would give the beast some powerful ammo to use against them.

"I won't be falling for the same tricks as last time, either," Sakkakumon laughed.

"So long as we don't get separated, there shouldn't be a problem," Keenan shrugged.

Risa was scared out of her mind in this unfamiliar place and she ended up trying to stay as close to possible to Takuya when a spongy hand shot down from the ceiling and snatched Yuu up. Cody noticed and tried to grab onto the older boy's leg with Armadillomon hanging on to his own but they were just both taken up.

Takuya gave Keenan a pointed look. "You were saying?"

Keenan couldn't say more though as he was yanked through a wall. Risa screamed and grabbed onto Takuya's arm. The Warrior was worried now, it was never good to be separated in a group but now he had to make sure that Risa was safe. Not just because Rika would kill him if he let anything happen to her sister either.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine," he muttered. Though he had to admit, he wasn't so sure about the validity of his statement either.

 **December 21: Primary Village - 9:31 AM**

"I'm worried," Ai sighed.

Shinya slowly stood up, four baby Digimon cuddled up in his arms, as he looked over at the younger child. "I am too, but these guys are tough. Besides, they've beaten those bad Digimon once before, they can totally do it again."

"I know," Ai nodded but it didn't make her feel any better.

Elecmon suddenly started running up to them, being trailed by a human-like figure and as they got closer, the two children realized that the person really was a human. A boy, most likely around Takato's age, unkempt brown hair, cracked goggles hanging around his neck, red leather jacket, and a black t-shirt underneath with a golden emblem resembling Seraphimon's face on it. Neither Shinya nor Ai recognized him at all.

"There you guys are!" Elecmon huffed. "I found this guy on the outskirts of the village, he one of your friends?"

Shinya shook his head and Ai crossed her arms. She couldn't pull off the skeptical look as well as Suzie or Rika could but she tried her best on it.

The stranger decided to speak. "I'm Koh and when Elecmon told me that there were other humans here, I thought that one of you guys were a friend of mine who had been missing for a while. Judging from your clothes and lack of a Data Burst Digivice, I can presume that neither of you are from Digital City, right?"

"Digital City?" Ai frowned.

Elecmon made a weird face too though it bordered along amazed. "I heard of that place! It's far more technologically advanced than any other place in the entire Digital World and it floats high above the clouds! I always thought it was a myth!"

Koh smiled a little and shook his head. "It's very much real, or at least, it was." His smile dropped. "A couple weeks ago, Belphemon demolished the City and hundreds of lives, human and digital, were taken. My own partners were all destroyed, except two who I saw were taken away. My digivice shows that they're still alive and on this island, that's why I came here."

"There are other humans here, in the Digital World?" Shinya inquired.

"Yes," Koh nodded. "A few decades ago, hundreds of humans found themselves taken away from the human world and wound up in this one. Once they found each other, they built civilizations to live in and survive. I'm an offspring of a pair of humans that arrived here."

Ai took this revelation in stride and was able to put the pieces together quick. "Commander Samson told us that a few decades ago, there were police reports of missing humans from all over the world but it was theorized that they were all passing through a weak spot in the firewall and into the Digital World. Keenan was one of those humans as well but he found his way back. This is an incredible discovery though, hundreds of humans living right in the Digital World and we never even knew!"

"You're sounding like Izzy," Shinya chuckled.

"It's just a little exciting for me," Ai admitted.

"I see," Koh nodded, finishing up his own mental jigsaw puzzle. "You two must be Chosen Children, then."

"Close," Shinya replied.

"I'm a Tamer," Ai told Koh. "Shinya doesn't haven't a partner but he followed us into the Digital World on our mission to fight the Demon Lords and retrieve some friends of ours. But knowing that there are other humans here, doesn't this mean you guys can help us?"

Koh had a solemn expression on his face once again. "Belphemon destroyed most of our partners, she was too lazy to kill all the humans but she figured that if all of the Digimon were gone, we wouldn't be able to fight back." He pulled out his digivice and it looked like he was starting to tear up as he looked at the empty screen. "Agumon and Patamon are both gone because of that monster and now I have to find Coronamon while he's still alive."

"Coronamon?" Shinya repeated. "Why does that sound familiar?"

Elecmon answered for him. "When Takato pulled up the information on Apollomon on his digivice, it mentioned that its Rookie form is Coronamon."

Ai and Shinya shot each other look, both of them coming to the same conclusion.

 **December 21: Barren Desert - 9:32 AM**

Kenta felt the sand blowing into his eyes and they were irritating him like crazy, he really wished he had some goggles. Takato had the right idea. Even so, no matter how much sand was getting into his eyes, nothing could blind him from what he was seeing right in front of him. He glanced over at his partner and wondered how the little guy knew that this thing was here.

"A Control Spire," he muttered.

"Pu, pua, pura… Here?"

"Yeah… I don't know why it's here either."

Kenta had to think about this, as far as he was concerned, he had never seen one of these black towers in real life but being an avid fan of the Digimon show, he knew all about them. But they shouldn't even exist anymore, not without someone mass producing them like Ken had when he was the Digimon Emperor or Arukenimon and Mummymon. Then again, if destroyed Digimon from their pasts can be reborn, there's nothing saying those two Digimon couldn't come back and start manufacturing Control Spires again.

"But if Arukenimon is back and the bad guys are mass producing these things…," Kenta realized with an ominous sense of foreboding. "Then she could start making fake Digimon all over again! Ones that are just as strong as BlackWarGreymon was and with the Demon Lords' help, she might actually have the power to control them too!"

"Pu! Pua!" MarineAngemon suddenly yelled.

"Danger?" Kenta repeated.

"Terra Destroyer!"

Kenta was lifted off the ground and if he looked down below, he could see a dark orb of energy exploding and that it had been the force of the explosion that had blown him away, knocking him into a jagged rock and causing the bubble he was inside to pop.

"Oomph!" He quickly pushed himself up and put on his glasses, adjusting them so that he could see BlackWarGreymon glaring down athim with his lifeless eyes. "Not good!"

The Tamer and his partner started looking around and they realized that they were surrounded from all sides by Cherrymon, each one sporting a shiny new Dark Spiral around their trunks. And near the Control Spire stood two oddly dressed humans, though Kenta knew better.

"You're pretty smart and perceptive, I must say I am impressed," Arukenimon grinned maliciously.

"Oh yes," Mummymon agreed beside her. "To think that you would find this place and put the pieces together all on your own!"

"It's not something to be proud of if I'm going up against all of you on my own," Kenta muttered.

MarineAngemon was no fighter, no matter what Modify cards the boy could use, the angelic Digimon just wasn't equipped with the kind of firepower to take on all of these enemies; Kenta knew this. The best plan of attack would be destroying the Control Spire to free the Cherrymon orchard and then hightailing it back to the Frozen Palace where the others could help him out. But what were the chances of them destroying that solid tower?

"Let's see how strong you are," Arukenimon cackled as she and her male counterpart changed into their Digimon forms.

"That is way creepier in real life."

 **December 21: Ruins of Light - 9:33 AM**

They saw the entrance to the ruins, the place where Kouji first found his spirit but it wasn't going to be easy to get inside. There was an army of Digimon glaring at them, blocking their entry point. As they each pulled out their digivices, they felt gravity acting against them as they were all suddenly pushed to the ground, unable to stand back up.

"G-Gravimon!" Kiriha grunted. "That's the only Digimon I know that's capable of manipulating gravity like this!"

"How flattering to know you still remember me," the Dark General laughed as he floated down. "It's so good to see you again, Kiriha! This time, I don't plan on losing to you and to make sure of that, I won't let you or your friends move. I'll be sure to torture you all until you beg for death!"

Henry shook his head as he pulled out a card. "Not going to happen… Digi-Modiy! Field Effect Cancel!" They felt light again immediately. "I wasn't sure that was going to work, looks like the upgrades Mr. Mizuno made were perfect."

Kiriha raised his X-Loader and MailBirdramon and Greymon automatically jumped out, battle ready. "Wait, both of you are out at the same time? I thought I could only have one Digimon out at a time because of the rules?"

"We're in the Digital World, Kiriha," MailBirdramon reminded him.

"The rules of the Hunt don't apply here," Greymon grinned.

"H-How did you…?" Gravimon stammered.

"You guys go save Kouichi and Yolei," Henry told the other two. "I'll stay behind to help Kiriha if Gravimon decides to pull that underhanded gravity trick again." Ken pushed Relena forward and the two of them disappeared inside the cave.

"Do you two pretty boys really think you can defeat me?" Gravimon inquired, insulted. "I am the second strongest of the Dark Generals, no matter how strong you are, you won't stand a ghost of a chance against the likes of me!"

"We'll see about that," Kiriha and Henry shot back.

 **December 21: Sakkakumon - 9:34 AM**

When Suzie came to, she found herself in a dark room with a coffin in the center of it. The only light source in there were a couple of candles lining the top of the walls and as she tried to move, she realized that her wrists were cuffed and she was stuck to the concrete wall behind her. That's when she noticed Kazu and Yutaka nearby, both of them out cold.

"Suzie? You're awake!"

The Tamer looked up and noticed a giant bird cage hanging above the coffin. "Lopmon? Is that you?"

"And me, Guardromon," Kazu's partner added.

"Can't you break those bars?" she hissed.

The lid of the coffin moved suddenly, surprising Suzie and causing the two teenage boys to stir. As the coffin opened, NeoMyostismon made himself known, he grinned maliciously as he looked to his three human captives, like living decorative ornaments on his brick wall.

"I would not advise upon such a foolish act while I am in the room, little girl," the undead Digimon chuckled. He held his hand out to them and, now that they were all awake, they watched as a small screen appeared in the palm of his hand. "It's a little reminder…" They watched as they saw their friends moving across the screen, many of them were in some pretty tight situations. "None of you can escape our wrath."

"Takuya will save us," Yutaka spat in the vampire's face.

"Will he?" NeoMyotismon laughed. "You put so much faith in the Warrior of Flame but remember, he was unable to keep you three from getting kidnapped by me. In truth, I should kill you all now but I want Yuu to see your deaths. I want him to know that his betrayal has slowly led up to this moment and I want him to see it with his own eyes."

He threw the little projection in his hand to the wall and it became a large screen split like a grid, each one showing a different group or individual. TK flying to the summit of Infinity Mountain, Taiki and Takato marching towards the Sun-Wheel Army, Korikakumon rampaging through a thicket, Kristy and Jeri soaring through the skies, Rika unconscious on an icy floor, Davis and a few others climbing up a frozen staircase, Beetlemon and Lobomon locked in combat, Kenta taking cover in the desert, Kouichi numbly staring at Duskmon with Yolei and Mako by his side, Ken and Relena turning on a flashlight in a dark passageway, Henry and Kiriha up against the Earth Spirit Army, Kazemon zipping through burning rain, Risa fearfully hiding behind Takuya, Cody helping Yuu to his feet, and Keenan lost in a snowy landscape.

"Everyone…," Suzie quivered.

NeoMyotismon relished the fear and worry in the faces of his captives as he laughed. "They will all perish one by one."

 **-X-**

 **Everyone in both the human and Digital World are getting into trouble as it would seem. They all expected to be together through all the challenges they faced but now they've been divided smaller and smaller, how will they handle their own obstacles? And who exactly is Koh? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **Okay, just so you're all aware, I won't be jumping around from group to group like I was here, that would just be overwhelming and way too confusing. So I'm going to be focusing on a couple of fights per chapter which will likely be in world order. The first official chapter is likely going to focus on our team on File Island. Hope you all enjoyed and do not hesitate to drop a review down below! See you!**


	2. Warriors and War Gods

**First, thank you to everyone who has already given their support to this story. Second, do not forget to check out Children of the Past though it is not a requirement. Third, as you might know, I am very busy so updates are probably going to take a while. Fourth, I made edits to Children of the Present, two chapters in particular have been given major changes. Those two would be** _ **Just Trust Me (Part 1)**_ **and** _ **Welcome Festival**_ **. And fifth, I hope you all enjoy!**

 **-X-**

 **December 21: Northwest Woods – 9:40 AM**

"Original name," Korikakumon snorted when he arrived.

The Warrior slide evolved into his smaller form so that it would be easier to navigate through the forest. Not to mention, it would make things easier for him to sneak up on Arbormon, wherever he was at this moment. With each step that Kumamon took, he felt something odd, weight sinking into the ground that he could not see.

"Chamelemon…," he muttered to himself.

"Tongue Lashing!"

Kumamon jumped backwards and though he could not see it, he felt the wind rush past him directly in front of him and when he landed, he felt at least three tongues stuck to the ground for about another three seconds before they would retract.

"Crystal Breeze!" Kumamon breathed an icy wind on the tongues and he grinned with satisfaction when he heard the three Chamelemon groaning in distress. They turned themselves visible and the Warrior watched as they tugged in vain to release their appendages. "Where is Arbormon?"

"You won't be able to beat him!" a Chamelemon that was still roaming around laughed.

"Yeah! A puny little teddy bear like you wouldn't stand a chance!" added another.

Kumamon pulled out his snowball launcher, Romeo, and watched the trees patiently. It wasn't hard for him to sense movement, especially when he was in Digimon form, all he had to do was pinpoint the locations of his invisible foes and then aim. "Blizzard Blaster!" He counted at least five other enemies out here, waiting for the right time to strike, but they waited too long as they were hit with some powerful snowballs, knocking them out of the trees. The snow was also visible so the Warrior now knew exactly where they were. "Slide Evolution! Korikakumon! Frozen Arrowheads!"

Eight targets were destroyed all at once and as Kumamon, he intended to digitize their Fractal Codes but before he had the chance to, all the data particles floated away from him. He put on his skis and followed the data but before he could reach them, a fist came flying out of nowhere and knocked him right off his feet.

"Well, if it isn't the Legendary Warrior of Ice," said a familiar voice. Arbormon slowly stepped out of from his cover, absorbing the lost data of his own comrades. "I must admit, this data doesn't taste anywhere near as good as burgers but I guess I can't have those anymore after _someone_ destroyed my base there!"

"I couldn't just let you continue terrorizing those Burgermon," Kumamon grunted as he pushed himself back up.

"Terrorizing?" Arbormon gasped, as if he was appalled to be accused of that. "No, no, I didn't see it that way. I was simply doing business."

"That would imply that both sides benefit."

"Don't smart mouth me teddy!"

Kumamon took on a fighting stance but he knew that he didn't stand much of a chance against this bigger Warrior in the form he was in right now. He wasn't very fast unless he was on skis and this guy could stretch out his limbs like Mr. Fantastic. But that didn't mean things were hopeless. The Warrior of Ice did not spend the last three years sharpening his mind and skills not to come up with the strategies that Takuya had during their first adventure.

"Blockade Seed!"

Kumamon jumped up, kicking off a nearby tree trunk and sticking onto the bottom of a branch. "Frozen Tundra!" That came as a shock to Arbormon, he hadn't expected the stout polar bear to be so limber and avoid his bullet-like saplings by hanging from a branch like his beast form would.

"The one thing I know about ice is that it's fragile!" Arbormon growled. "Roundhouse Punt!"

Kumamon smirked before turning back to his original form, Arbormon's leg whipping around the branch. It didn't get tangled but that didn't matter so much because this guy was going to get stuck to the tree anyway. "Crystal Breeze!" The Warrior of Wood's eyes bulged out from underneath his hat when he found his stringy leg frozen to the bark but his opponent wasn't through with the torment just yet as the bazooka came back out. "Blizzard Blaster!"

"No you don't!" he snapped. "Slide Evolution!" As he was encased in the spiraling cocoon, the ice that had immobilized his leg shattered and standing in his place was now Petaldramon, the plant-like lizard that caused so much trouble for Burger Town. "Petaldramon!" The snowballs harmlessly pelted his petal-like scales. "Try this! Leaf Cyclone!"

Kumamon yelped as he got caught up in the tornado, leaves cutting his fur and leaving marks on the skin of the human host inside. From inside, Tommy's eyes widened as he glanced at the arms blocking his face. Cuts? Blood? Was he bleeding?

"This isn't good," Kumamon muttered. "I knew I took damage even in Digimon form but my body is so much more sensitive now. I feel like I just got a thousand paper cuts."

Petaldramon laughed. "You can't win this battle! Now, Chamelemon!"

Kumamon's eyes widened. "There are more?!"

"Tongue Lashing!"

Just like before, several tongues came whipping out from the trees. Kumamon had been so distracted with the foe in front of him that he hadn't even noticed the stealthy lizards shrouding themselves in the foliage. And as if to make matters worse, he felt someone else coming and he knew who it was.

Shinya jumped out of the shrubbery and pushed Kumamon out of the way just a tongue wrapped around the boy's waist and yanked him right off the ground. "No!"

Petaldramon raised an eyebrow at the sight of the other human but even so, if it was a human, he was likely to be an enemy so he was going to rejoice in this unforeseen turn of events. But surprise had another fate in store when a gunshot rang through the forest, ripping through the air and cutting the tongue that had latched itself to the boy, dropping Shinya to the ground.

"Whoa, what just happened?" Shinya blinked.

Kumamon knew that his priority was to make sure his friend was okay but the source of the gunshot just made himself known, taking his attention away from Shinya for a brief moment. He kind of looked like an Agumon clad in wartime soldier gear, holding an assault rifle of all weapons. His skin looked like it was covered in camouflage painting though it looked much more pixelated than the warpaint from their home world.

 **Digital Analyzer** : Commandramon is a Rookie Digimon, a cyborg designed specifically for battle but as wars passed, the creatures slowly began to gain sentience. Many of them still fight and protect the things that they were ordered to keep the peace for it is all they know. For such a low level Digimon, they are fairly powerful.

"M16 Assassin!" Commandramon shouted, aiming his firearm into the trees and firing rapidly. He had a sharp eye that was for sure, with every gunshot came the sound of a Chamelemon falling to the dirt with a satisfying thud. Though Kumamon was sure that he was the only one to hear it over the loud crack of the rifle.

"You again?" Petaldramon glowered. "Leaf Cyclone!"

"Slide Evolution! Korikakumon!" The newly formed beast Digimon jumped over Shinya and Commandramon's heads, landing in front of them and using his tomahawks to slice right through Petaldramon's attack. "No more playing around! Frozen Arrowhead!" His braids tangled themselves around the lizard, binding him on the spot.

"You're not the only one who can constrict movement!" Petaldramon grunted. "Thorn Jab!" He stabbed the ground with his tail and suddenly, vines sprouted out from under Korikakumon's feet, entangling him as well. They were now at a stalemate except for the fact that Petaldramon was all out of allies.

Commandramon cocked his rifle and then pointed it at Korikakumon. "M16 Assassin!" He didn't nearly have the power to do sufficient enough amount of damage of Petaldramon but he had just enough power to destroy the vines constricting Korikakumon.

"Thanks!" Korikakumon nodded before glaring down his enemies. The Chamelemon were starting to get back too and that was when the Warrior noticed that each of their eyes had been shot by a bullet; that was some terrifyingly expert aim. No wonder Champion level Digimon were knocked down by such a small cyborg. "It's time to finish this! Avalanche Axes!" The yeti threw his tomahawks and they mowed down the lizards one by one before finding themselves at a converging point on Petaldramon, cutting him in two.

The beast faded into an inky silhouette with his spirits lying out in the open for the taking. "Destroyed twice now! At least this time, it was by an enemy and not an ally!"

Korikakumon returned into Kumamon's small form who was holding up his D-Tector. "Fractal Code Digitize!" With that, the Warrior of Wood no longer stood in the middle of the forest, he now had a home inside Tommy's digivice. "Whew… Glad that's over."

While Shinya was gushing over how cool Commandramon had been and thanking the dragon-like machine for saving him, Tommy was checking over the cuts that had formed all over his skin. They were open wounds but they were healing fast, he wondered if that was also an effect from being a host to a Legendary Warrior. It might be something similar to how the main trio of Tamers heal so quickly despite taking so many hits.

Once the boy had finished his once-over, he marched towards his classmate with an angered glare.

"Hm?" Commandramon blinked, looking up at Tommy. "I must say, I was rather impressed by your skills. I can see why the Warrior of Ice had chosen you to be his host."

"Thanks," Tommy acknowledged before returning his narrowed eyes on Shinya. "Care to explain why you followed me?"

Shinya looked down in embarrassment. "It was weird. One moment, I was with Ai and this other guy heading towards the battleground where Takato and Taiki ran off to, the next moment, I get this feeling that I had to come to you. It was like I just knew you were in trouble and didn't want you getting hurt."

"…You're an idiot," Tommy sighed, causing Shinya to look up. "I'm the one who's supposed to be doing the protecting here, being the Legendary Warrior. What would've happened if you got seriously hurt? Do you know how painful that would be?" He had made a promise with his spirits that he wouldn't lose this friend, this guy who was able to make him feel normal despite his weird powers and abilities. "Next time, stay with Ai."

"Right, got it."

"One more thing."

"Yeah?"

"Did you just say that you left a ten year old girl alone with some guy?"

Shinya froze, realizing just how bad that sounded. Koh may have seemed friendly but you never knew a person's true nature, especially considering they met this guy less than an hour ago. What if he was a dangerous spy working for the Demon Lords? They had to get back to Ai and quick.

"We should probably go find her," Shinya chuckled nervously.

"Geez, you're such a pain," Tommy huffed before looking back at Commandramon. "You can come with us and explain your situation along the way. Because I'm sure everyone would like to know more about you and why you helped me out."

"Of course," Commandramon saluted. "Anything for one of the grand commanders!"

Tommy stopped mid-step. "Eh?"

"I am a private of the United Xros Heart Army," Commandramon explained. "Sanzomon and Gokuwmon, the main generals of the army, recruited millions of Digimon to fight against the evil Demon Lords. We've been in the war for the last few months but they told us that they would go to the human world and test the strength of the humans who would come to save our world. They also said that when we meet the humans, they will be our top commanders."

"Wait, back up a second," said Tommy. "Sanzomon and Gokuwmon?" Were they the same ones that had fought Henry and Suzie back in the human world that time? If so, why didn't they explain any of this? Were they really just testing them? "Man, this puzzle just gets more and more complicated."

"We can figure it out along the way," Shinya called back.

"Hm? Oh, right."

 **December 21: Sun-Wheel Army Base – 9:45 AM**

From behind their cover of rocks, Taiki addressed the small but decently strong army they had compiled together, Gallantmon Crimson Mode, OmniShoutmon, Andromon, Monzaemon, Frigimon, Mojyamon, and Unimon. With Wisemon's words of advice, Taiki was made aware that he could use more Digimon from his X-Loader because they were no longer on Earth, the rules of the Hunt no longer applied.

"The rules of the Hunt?" Gallantmon repeated.

"One of the rules is that we can only use one Digimon at a time," Taiki explained. "Since we're in the Digital World, I can use more allies, like…" He raised his red X-Loader which immediately started releasing various Digimon. "Wisemon, Puppetmon, Spadamon, and Grademon. They're not much but they're all very powerful. To add to this, Digi-Xros! Starmon! Pickmon!" A massive sword appeared and landed itself into the General's hand. "I'll be fighting with you guys too."

Gallantmon wasn't too sure about this part of the plan. "Are you sure it's not too dangerous?"

"I'll be fine," Taiki assured the knight. "Besides, I need to get close enough to talk to Apollomon."

Gallantmon relented. "Then I'll join you when we storm the fortress. Just give us the signal."

The army they were up against consisted mainly of Champion level Digimon with only the ability to run so that wasn't much of a problem with their own forces as Unimon flew into the air, capturing their attention with a flurry of Aerial Attacks.

The Sun-Wheel Army turned tail and chased the winged equestrian, noticing too late that their return route was being blocked off by Frigimon's ice wall. Takato used his Frigimon's Subzero Ice Punch card to help out and the two of them created a partition between the army and their fortress. That was when the others made their appearance and started the attack, leaving OmniShoutmon, Gallantmon, and Taiki for the hard stuff as they ran into the castle.

"Halt!" a voice boomed as soon as they entered.

"Sethmon," OmniShoutmon growled. "Not you again. Taiki, you and Gallantmon go on ahead, I'll handle this one."

 **Digital Analyzer** : Sethmon is a multi-colored quadrupedal beast who is known to be the god of the desert. He is evolved when a Veemon is energized by the Digi-Egg of Love. They are loyal beasts, with power that exceeds most other Digimon and a speed to be coveted by the fastest of land Digimon.

"I shall not lose to you again," Sethmon snarled. "Heat Storm!"

Gallantmon picked up Taiki in his armored arms and flew right out of the room and up the stairs while OmniShoutmon took the full blow of the miniature heat wave. "Huh, your morning breath doesn't smell as bad as you look," the golden Digimon smirked.

"Gr, Tusk Buster!"

"Flame Cannon!" OmniShoutmon released an onslaught of fireballs which blasted through his foe's projectiles and continued on with the intention of destroying Sethmon. But the quadruped lived up to his description as he raced backward, using the back wall as a springboard, and propelling himself over the attack and landing right in front of OmniShoutmon. "Damn it!"

"Heat Storm!"

OmniShoutmon crossed his arms in an attempt to block the blast wave and he did so for the most part, he was just pushed back a few meters, feet skidding across the stone floor. "Heh, you're a lot stronger than you used to be."

"I am the captain of the Sun Army," Sethmon glared. "I need to be."

"Yeah? Well I'm the Digimon King," OmniShoutmon smirked. "Don't think you'll get the best of me, you nuisance!"

"That's my line."

Sethmon was quick on his feet as he jumped from wall to wall, using his claws and fangs in order to try and cut down his foe. But OmniShoutmon had been a part of the Hunt for three years and he's faced bigger problems in his life. And more importantly, his partner was on his way to fight a Digimon that was likely to have a higher power level than a Royal Knight. He was needed elsewhere so he couldn't waste any time fighting a lackey.

After Sethmon missed his target for the umpteenth time, OmniShoutmon swung a back kick that got the quadruped in the stomach, sending him flying into the chandelier hanging in the center of the room. "The finisher! Victorize Banking!"

"Wait, no! Not again!"

The explosion cleared up soon enough to reveal OmniShoutmon soaring through the stairwell to try and reunite with his partner, an egg securely in his arms. When he made it up to the next floor, he realized that the fortress was shaking, shocks and tremors were being sent through the entire structure.

"What's going on here?" the Digimon king blanched.

He found his answer on the rooftop where Gallantmon was locked in combat with a familiar Olympian, but not Apollomon. Sethmon was not the only captain to have been revived, Marsmon was there too and he wasn't pulling any punches in his fight against the bio-merged Digimon.

 **Digital Analyzer** : Marsmon is a member of the Olympos XII, he is a digital god of war with the appearance of a panther-man. Marsmon is familiar with all the ways to fight dirty without weapons in the world, and has absolute confidence in battles with others in the same weight class. He uses basic wrestling techniques, but is fixated on victory and glory, so when push comes to shove he won't hesitate to use concealed weapons like his "Tria Knuckle" or "Metal Cothurnus". However, he exhibits his real power when he uses his bare hands and feet.

Gallantmon hadn't expected to come into contact with an Olympian, at least not this soon. One moment, he was flying up the stairs with Taiki in his arms, the next, a muscular man engulfed in flames with the head of a panther breaks through the wall and tackles him.

Taiki was okay but was in shock when he saw Marsmon, once an ally of the United Xros Heart Army, now a mindless slave to the Demon Lords. It took a few moments of battle for them to figure it out but they realized he must've been under the influence of a Black Gear hidden from view because he only spoke in unintelligible growls and snarls. It was just like when Leomon had been a mindless follower to Devimon's orders.

In the show, they were aware that it was the light from the digivice that got rid of the evil inside of Leomon but it seemed like the same trick wasn't going to work twice. Either that or the D-Power and X-Loader models didn't pack the same punch as the prototype models did.

"Royal Saber!" The angelic knight released a bolt of powerful lightning at Marsmon who tucked and rolled right out of the way. The Olympian was fast, he avoided both of Gallantmon's weapons and using only his bare fists, was able to place multiple dents in his armor. "Crimson Light!"

Marsmon made a front flip right over the attack, landing behind Gallantmon. "Endless Surge!"

In the blink of an eye, Marsmon launched a flurry of maybe one hundred blazing punches against Gallantmon's eight wings, causing him to scream out in agony. In the next blink, Marsmon's fists made contact with the ground, sending a pillar of fire out from underneath Gallantmon's feet and sending the bio-merged Digimon sky high.

"No!" Taiki shouted. He clutched his sword in his hand. "Marsmon, stop this!"

The General launched forward, swinging his blade around but Marsmon avoided all the slashes with expert ease, even stopping a downward strike with two fingers on one hand. His free hand closed into a fist and he aimed a punch for the boy's stomach but OmniShoutmon blocked the attack with his own body, sending both Digimon and partner flying into the wall.

"He's strong…," OmniShoutmon grunted.

Taiki was helped up to his feet as he coughed up blood. "Who would've thought he could be this ruthless."

Gallantmon suddenly appeared beside them, surprising them all, even Marsmon. He was clear of all injuries and burn marks. "Sorry, I didn't scare you guys, did I?" the crimson knight said sheepishly. "I had used a Doppelganger card so Marsmon was only fighting a fake version of me. I wanted to see just what he was capable of before going in myself."

Taiki and OmniShoutmon couldn't help staring at the crimson paladin.

Here was this powerful and majestic Digimon with five years of experience as a Chosen Child under his belt, obviously he wouldn't be beaten so easily by such an opponent. However, despite that, his attitude in which he is apologizing profusely for not giving them forewarning of his strategy does not reflect that.

"Look out!" Taiki shouted.

Gallantmon pivoted his head and found Marsmon's fist coming right for his face. In a nanosecond, the fist made contact, not with its target, but with WarGreymon's Brave Shield. "Invincible Sword!" Marsmon leapt over the blade but with one swift swipe, stones that made up the foundation of the fortress broke apart and exploded.

"What power…," Taiki gaped.

OmniShoutmon was impressed too. "Let's leave this to Gallantmon. We've got a friend to save."

The General looked back at the two powerful forces, swords against gauntlets, both foes glaring each other down. "Gallantmon, are you okay with that?"

"I'll be fine!" Gallantmon called out. "Just go!"

Taiki and OmniShoutmon wished him luck as they tried to run off. For the first time, Marsmon said something coherent which was for them to stop. That didn't make them halt of course. But it was that moment that a cage suddenly fell down in front of them, the shock blowing them back a meter or two.

"What the…?" OmniShoutmon coughed.

Taiki rubbed the dust out of his eyes and he gasped when he saw what was in the cage. It was Apollomon shackled to the bars, and standing on top of the cage was another Sun God Digimon except he was much darker colored. This was Whispered; the evil version of Apollomon as created by Bagramon because without the virus, the Olympian would not follow orders.

"Whispered!" Taiki snapped. "What have you done with Apollomon?!" The better question would be how are they two separate entities?

Whispered cackled triumphantly. "My dear red General, I have done nothing to this phony." He hopped down and grabbed OmniShoutmon by the throat. When Taiki tried swinging his blade, the evil General deflected it with a flick of the finger. "I am only siphoning the energy that rightfully belongs to me."

"Siphoning energy?" Taiki repeated.

"The fool had vanished after that final battle with Bagramon," Whispered explained. "He went back to his happy little life in Digital City with his Tamer." At that word, Taiki's eyes widened. "Oh that's right, you didn't know, did you? Apollomon, just like this pitiful Digimon, is a pet to a human!"

" _We're not pets,_ " Guilmon snarled.

Gallantmon pulled himself away from Marsmon and flew right for Whispered. The God man didn't get hurt but he was forced to let go of OmniShoutmon just as Marsmon took his right side. The armored Digimon glared back at the two members of the Olympos XII.

" _I don't like our odds,_ " Takato muttered.

"Taiki," OmniShoutmon called. "Since the rules of the Hunt no longer apply, that means you can fuse more than two Digimon at a time, right?"

The General hadn't tested it out but it made sense. Could the Digimon King be saying that he wanted to fuse with the Star Sword and Gallantmon at the same time? But Takato was in there, what would happen if you threw a human into a Digi-Xros? They've never tried it before.

"Whatever you're planning to do, just do it before it's too late for us," Gallantmon urged.

"Whispering Arrow!" "Endless Surge!"

"OmniShoutmon! Gallantmon Crimson Mode! Starmon! Pickmons! Digi-Xros!"

In a bright flash of blinding light, OmniShoutmon, clad in the crimson armor of a brilliantly shining knight, swung his vibrant Star Sword and Gungnir to block the arrows of the darkened Sun God and the fists of the God of War. The swings were far from graceful but they were fast and efficient, defending his body magnificently.

 _Inside this new Digimon, Takato opened his eyes to see the ghost-like forms of his own partner, OmniShoutmon, Starmon, and the little group of Pickmon. It was like a surreal dream to be in that digital space, sharing it with several other beings rather than just Guilmon._

" _It's warm," the Tamer remarked._

" _Yeah, a Xros with a human feels…," OmniShoutmon couldn't find the right word so he had to settle for different._

 _Guilmon cheered happily as the Pickmon began to dance around him. "But we have more friends here now, Takato! This means that we'll definitely win!"_

" _What makes you so sure?" OmniShoutmon questioned though that's what he'd like to believe._

 _The red raptor had a rather simplistic answer to this question. "Easy, because when Takato and I are together, I feel like we can do almost anything! So that means with even more great friends, we'll_ surely _accomplish anything!"_

 _Takato smiled at his best friend. "Come on, let's focus on the fight."_

"MedievalShoutmon!" the new Digimon bellowed.

Whispered and Marsmon both took a step back in surprise but it was clear that neither of them planned on backing down as they both charged for the knight. But as expected, this new Digimon was still capable of taking flight which is exactly what he did.

"Victorious Light!" By crossing his two blades together, he sent a dazzling flash of crimson fire and shining light at the Olympians. Marsmon, being a member of the fire attribute broke through this attack easily enough by coating his own body in flames.

"Corona Sanctions!"

" _Let's see if this still works,_ " said Takato, having his D-Power and a card materialize in his hands. " _Digi-Modify! Formation Gamma: Torrential Wall Activate!_ "

MedievalShoutmon splayed his hands out in front of him as a burst of water shot out from the ground, creating, as one would guess, a wall. If anything, it was like a reverse waterfall and when Marsmon leaped through, the flames on his body had been doused and his temperature had been cooled.

"What?!" the beast gasped.

"Crimson Cannon!" This time, by pointing the Star Sword at the airborne God, he released a powerful cannon that rocketed the foe back onto the floor, creating a crater. That directed MedievalShoutmon's eyes to their other enemy who was charging up for a powerhouse move.

"Rising Sun of All Sorrows!"

A ball of blazing black energy was sent flying at them and if it made contact, it would definitely incinerate his armor. MedievalShoutmon crossed his swords in front of him again and blocked the attack but was having a power struggle against Whispered who was trying to push it forward.

"Marsmon!" Whispered commanded. "Destroy the other human!"

"No!" MedievalShoutmon snapped. But there was no way they could move, not unless they wanted the black sun to delete them from existence. "Taiki, run!"

Taiki swallowed when Marsmon got out of his crater and looked to the boy with empty eyes. Now the General was wishing he had kept the Star Sword for some method of defending himself. Then again, it's not like he's never been in a dangerous situation like this one, he wasn't completely defenseless when it came to fighting.

Marsmon charged forward, fist raised as Taiki started running. He was grateful for all his time helping out various athletic clubs because he was agile and physically adept enough to dodge the flaming punch, grab onto the shoulder, and flip over the God. He continued running until he made it to Apollomon's cage.

"Apollomon, wake up!" the teenager shouted. "It's your friend, Taiki Kudo!"

The Sun God stirred, eyes opening up slowly as Taiki moved away from the cage to avoid another one of Marsmon's punches. "T-Taiki… Kudo…?"

"Yes!" Taiki gasped. "I'm in danger! My partner is in danger! If you wake up and break out of that cage, Whispered won't be able to siphon any more energy from you." The General ducked and slid under Marsmon's legs. "I know you can do it!"

"I…," Apollomon's eyes fluttered opened and he saw what was happening around him. "I'm too weak… If I… If Koh…"

"Koh?" Taiki repeated. He accidentally hesitated in one of his steps which was a mistake as Marsmon was able to catch the boy in one of his hands. It was big enough to hold around Taiki's entire body. "Gah! M-Marsmon, stop! I'm not your enemy!"

"Do it, Marsmon!" Whispered ordered. "Crush him!"

But Marsmon didn't, with his captive raised over his head, he stared at the General with those blank eyes that were starting to gain color again. But only Taiki could see this. "Marsmon… You are a loyal friend of Apollomon's. The two of you trust each other greatly and most importantly, you guys are on the side of good. You know what the right thing to do is."

"The… right… thing…," Marsmon repeated slowly. "Tai… ki… Ku… do…"

Taiki nodded, a smile breaking out on his face. "Yes, that's my name. I am Taiki Kudo and you are Marsmon. You might be a digital God of War but you have a warm spirit that wants to protect the innocent. I know you don't want to hurt me."

"Marsmon, what are you doing?!" Whispered snapped. "You are loyal to me!"

"He is not!" MedievalShoutmon snapped, slowly starting to push back against the ball of energy. Inside, Takato and Guilmon could both see inside of OmniShoutmon's memories, they could both see how Marsmon was loyal to the real, virus-free Apollomon, and not this fake. " _You_ are the phony here, not Apollomon!"

At the same time MedievalShoutmon threw the ball of energy at the cage, Marsmon let go of Taiki and threw a flaming fist at the same object. Whispered's eyes widened as he quickly flew forward, protecting the cage with his own body and taking both attacks.

"We got him!" the others cheered.

Marsmon was not as happy as they were though. "No!"

When the debris cleared, they could see that Whispered was completely fine, injury-free whereas Apollomon suddenly howled in pain, covered in bruises and burns. It became clear to them then that not only was Apollomon's energy being drained but any damage that was taken by his dark counterpart was being shared.

Whispered started laughing menacingly. "Do you see now? You cannot defeat me! Unless you want Apollomon to suffer then I suggest you stand back and be destroyed."

Taiki wasn't sure what to do in this situation now. Kiriha would probably tell him that it would be best to destroy Whispered anyway. Trying to get the best of both worlds just wasn't possible sometimes. And besides, Apollomon would be reborn again, right? There was just one outlier…

"Who is Koh?" Taiki asked. If Koh was Apollomon's partner then...

Marsmon had finally regained full control of his voice but his body was still refusing to listen to him. "Our Tamer. Apollomon was Koh's original partner and three years ago, City researchers discovered the chunk of Digital World that became Shoutmon's domain. We were sent there as volunteers to scope things out when Bagramon captured us and made Apollomon his Dark General. Thankfully, time moved differently so Koh didn't have to worry about us for that long, about a day or two passed for him."

"But this time, you're here," Taiki concluded. "Koh's partners vanished into thin air for months and he's probably worried sick."

MedievalShoutmon shook his head. "We can't destroy him if he has a Tamer. Koh would be devastated."

"But, as a Tamer," Marsmon grunted. "He would probably want what is best for the benefit of the Digital World. You have to destroy us!"

"What, you too?!" Taiki blanched.

"I can't control this body for very long!" the War God snapped. "I'll kill you if you don't kill me first!"

"Enough!" Whispered shouted, grabbing Marsmon by the throat and smashing his head against the metal bars of the cage, causing his enemies to gasp angrily. "You will pay for your insolence soon, Marsmon. For now, I must delete these two." The Sun God slowly approached them as they tried to come up with a feasible plan to counterattack but nothing came to mind. "Be good little kiddies and hold still."

"As if," MedievalShoutmon scoffed.

Just then, a shadow passed over them. They all looked skywards to see Unimon flying above them and as Whispered raised a hand to shoot a Whispering Arrow at the equestrian, something jumped off from the horse's back.

"Whispering Arrow!"

"Shining Sword!"

Much to their surprise, it was a human teenage boy who had leapt off Unimon, carrying a golden blade that was used to deflect the arrows. The stranger landed on top of Whispered's head and he used that as a springboard to jump down beside Marsmon and in front of the cage.

"Koh!" both Gods gasped.

" _That's_ Koh?" MedievalShoutmon and Taiki gaped.

The boy had just jumped down from several meters in the air and blocked several high-speed arrows in midair, this was no normal human being, they could tell that for sure. If Takato and Taiki remembered correctly, their classmate, Keenan, had such exceptional skills as well. Were humans raised in the Digital World that much more physically blessed than those raised in the human world?

"I'll get you out of there, buddy," Koh said to Apollomon.

Whispered charged forward, ready to squash the newcomer when MedievalShoutmon took his chance. Takato used a speed boost card and the Xrosed Digimon flashed into Whispered's line of sight, pushing him back from the cage.

"No!" Whispered shouted.

Koh raised his Data Burst Digivice and in a flash of light, both of his partners were gone and safely tucked inside the rectangular device. Almost immediately after, Whispered's data started dissipating. Without the original to take life energy from, the modified version had no more means of existing.

"You will pay for this! All of you!"

Unimon landed on the rooftop just as the fighters from before all collapsed and reverted back to their original forms. Ai dismounted from Unimon and ran up to Takato to make sure her fellow Tamer was okay while he proceeded to wonder if she was the one hurt.

"Didn't Miss Jeri tell you to stay at Primary Village?" Takato said.

Ai looked down, like a child in trouble for talking in class. "Yes…"

"We don't tell you these things because we don't want you involved," Takato continued. "We just want to make sure that you don't get hurt because if you do, then Impmon will make sure to hurt us because he loves you that much."

"I'm not five," Ai remarked, puffing up her cheeks in offense.

Takato straightened his back and laughed a little. "Right… Sorry…"

Koh walked over to them, raising his Data Burst Digivice so that Coronamon and Marsmon both came out. Once that was done, all three of them bowed down. "We are so sorry for causing you all of this trouble! Please forgive us!"

Takato and Taiki were surprised by this other boy's formality. Not only that, but they were just surprised to see Apollomon's Rookie form in general. They quickly got things settled as they marched back down to the battlefield where the Sun-Wheel Army had been changed back into eggs. Shoutmon added Sethmon's egg into the pile.

"We are victorious!" Andromon announced.

Monzaemon ran forward, causing the Digimon he passed (Frigimon and Mojyamon), to start spinning on the spot as the massive teddy bear gave cuddly hugs to Taiki and Takato. "We did it! We won! I'm so happy right now!"

"Yeah, we're happy too, big guy," Takato laughed.

"You can put us down now," Taiki added.

"Monzaemon's sorry…," the bear said.

Centarumon clopped over to them and they could see Tommy and Shinya were with him. It looked like the Warrior was able to defeat his enemy as well. Not only that, but they had made a new friend as well, Commandramon, who saluted the humans.

"Private Commandramon, at your service!" the dinosaur said.

Koh made his way to the front of the group. "You're from the United Xros Heart Army, aren't you?" Taiki froze up when he heard the name of his army coming from this stranger's mouth. "Have you made any contact with Sanzomon or Gokuwmon recently?"

"I'm afraid not, General Koh," stated Commandramon.

Shoutmon quickly interjected here. "Whoa, wait a second! Sanzomon and Gokuwmon? Do you mean the same ones under _my_ command?"

"Hold on," Takato breathed. "Those are the names of the two Digimon that attacked Henry and Suzie a few months ago."

With every statement made, the group was getting progressively more confused with who was the enemy and what was going on. Finally, Taiki called for quiet amongst them and despite he being the human with the least experience, he exuded the aura of greatest authority so they obeyed.

"Let's wait until we reunite with TK, Jeri, and Kristy," the General told them all. "Then we can untangle this story from the very beginning."

 **-X-**

 **Tommy, Takato, and Taiki were all successful in their individual missions so that just leaves two other big baddies to take care on File Island. But despite the fact that they've defeated more of their foes, how is it that the puzzle gains more pieces? Just who are Sanzomon and Gokuwmon? What part does the United Xros Heart Army play in this? And what battles will we see take place next? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **So, I apologize for the extensively long wait. But as I've mentioned, busy, busy, busy! I'm still swamped with a ton of work so don't expect speedy updates. But of course, I hope you guys enjoyed and don't forget to leave a review down below! I hope to see you guys in the next one! Adios!**


	3. Former Foes and Friends

**It's time to see how the other kids on File Island are doing with their respective missions! I do want to thank everybody who has shown their support for this story so far and I would like to see more of that from now on to the future. And by that, I mean I would like more than three reviews. Seriously, what happened to you guys? Enjoy!**

-X-

 **December 21: Shady Grove – 9:50 AM**

Jeri and Kristy peeked over Aquilamon's wings and noticed the thicket underneath them, covering up their view of what was down there. So they didn't have much of a choice but to land and scout the area. That is, if they wanted to find the enemy and take him down.

It was their job to take care of NeoDevimon but the problem was that none of them had ever faced this enemy before so what was he like? What was he capable of? Without that kind of knowledge, could the two teenage girls really succeed in defeating him? They could only hope that since he was an Ultimate Digimon that two of those kinds would be more than enough to win in a match against him.

Aquilamon flew downwards and his riders watched TK and Pegasusmon fly higher, towards the peak of Infinity Mountain where he would fight Devimon. They couldn't help wondering if he was going to be okay too, he was on his own against his opponent.

"He'll be fine," Kristy said. "TK's got the most experience when it comes to fighting evil Digimon."

Jeri couldn't deny that. "But what if he gets blinded by rage? I saw a glimpse of it earlier when I bumped into him."

Before Kristy could answer, Liollmon sensed something evil coming towards them. "Look out!" he roared as Aquilamon told them to hang on. He swerved out of the way of black strings shot out from the cover of the trees underneath them and nearly pierced them. "NeoDevimon is definitely down there."

"He was trying to shoot us out of the sky!" Aquilamon cawed disdainfully.

The avian started making his descent but the closer to the ground they got, the more shadows started tearing their way into the sky, trying to bring them down. The passengers tried to hang on as tightly as they could but it wasn't long before a whip of black energy pierced into one of Aquilamon's wings, causing him to accidentally fling his partner right off.

"Liollmon!" Jeri shouted.

The Tamer's partner leapt off at the same time she evolved him into Leomon. The bipedal lion grabbed onto the falling girl and Jeri used Takato's signature Hyper Wing card to give Leomon a way to keep themselves from crash landing.

"Kristy!" Aquilamon squawked. "Are you okay?! I didn't mean to–."

Kristy brushed her hair out of her face. "Don't worry," she said breathlessly. "I'm a little shaken up but I'm okay. It's not your fault."

Leomon took Jeri in his other arm so that he could hold on to the girls tightly; it was easier than having them hang on to the feathers on Aquilamon's back. This also allowed the giant bird to concentrate on keeping himself safe from harm.

They landed in the Shady Grove and almost immediately, they noticed that the attacks had stopped which meant NeoDevimon was definitely trying to shoot them down. Still, they all stayed away from the shadows for fear that they would come to life and attack again. It was beyond nerve-wracking, to be so cautious of every dark spot on the ground which left barely any room to step on in a forest.

Aquilamon was especially nervous. It might've been due to the fact that he nearly had his partner killed. And even if no one blamed him, it was still frightening for him. "There's not a lot of space here," he remarked. "Garudamon will have trouble moving around."

"Then let GrapLeomon handle the heavy lifting," Jeri advised.

Kristy nodded. "There's no doubt that he's really strong."

"But we should not underestimate the likes of NeoDevimon," Leomon reminded them.

Aquilamon paused a few feet behind them, spreading his wings to their full wing span. He flinched when his left wing hit a branch, causing a loud rustle. There was no way that he would be able to fly through the grove but walking on his talons was not something he was used to in his Champion form. He couldn't help feeling envious of Leomon who was not only able to move freely on his own two feet but was stronger than most average Digimon his own level.

"Aquilamon?" Kristy called, stopping. "What are you doing?"

Aquilamon looked up. "Huh? Sorry. I'm just having trouble keeping up with my feet."

"Maybe you should return to being Biyomon," Kristy stated.

"N-No. What if we're attacked? I should be at least this high enough level to protect you."

The teenager wasn't as sure but she couldn't tell her partner otherwise. So instead, she held out a hand towards the three-times-as-tall Digimon. "Give me your wing. I don't want to get separated from you or leave you behind."

"Kristy…"

"Come on, we don't want to keep the others waiting."

Jeri had actually paused as well and smiled as Aquilamon placed the tip of his massive wing into Kristy's comparatively small hand. But the smile disappeared when her partner suddenly took up a defensive stance and his mane started bristling.

From up ahead, a claw suddenly shot out from the cover of tree trunks, ready to plunge into someone's chest and rip out their heart. Leomon drew his sword out with his backhanded grip and blocked it but whoever was attached to the claw was strong. Leomon was pushed back several meters and his back collided with a tree, but he was at least able to block the lethal claw.

"Digi-Modify! Matrix Digivolution Activate!" "Leomon Digivolve to… GrapLeomon!"

In his new form, GrapLeomon blocked the claw with the turbine on his right arm. He then swung his leg around and kicked the offending limb into the air which was quickly retracted back to wherever it had come from. But they knew who the owner was.

"Show yourself, NeoDevimon," GrapLeomon commanded.

From out of the shadows, stepped out a tall, ghastly figure with arms that reached down to his feet, forearms as long as his legs. His blood-colored wings tattered and foreboding against the pale skin of his lean, exposed torso. He wore a mask on his face with six beady eyes, attached to two protruding horns on either side of his head.

 **Digital Analyzer:** NeoDevimon was born from a dying Devimon. Devimon wished for more strength and was consumed by the powers of darkness, artificially enhanced so that his wish could be granted by Apocalymon. The mask he wears restrains him and suppresses his own power. It is said that he wears it in order to control his own will.

"An artificial fallen angel?" Kristy shuddered.

Jeri did not like this. "And he was created by Apocalymon of all evils. That cannot be good."

NeoDevimon took two slow, purposeful steps towards them and then stopped, much to their confusion. He seemed to be eyeing them, was he possibly assessing them before they had even fought? Either way, GrapLeomon and Aquilamon did not let down their guard.

Suddenly, without warning, Jeri screamed. In the same moment they turned their heads to look at her, NeoDevimon's body was gone and his face was directly in front of the Tamer's. GrapLeomon used his speed to get between them and he tried to do a roundhouse kick on the demon who blocked it with his forearm without even looking.

"How sad," NeoDevimon sighed. "Both of the pathetic humans… sad."

GrapLeomon was stunned, the turbine on his leg was definitely spinning at full speed but NeoDevimon didn't seem to notice no matter how much friction and heat it caused. On most foes, it would probably burn the victim and send them into agony.

"…What are you?" GrapLeomon growled.

NeoDevimon sighed again, disappearing and reappearing behind the four of them. "I fought the very first Chosen Children and the humans back then proved to me that their species weren't as weak as I had assumed. But these two little girls are sad. Just like how the first Chosen were when they first entered the Digital World. Sad."

"Enough!" Aquilamon snapped. "I won't let anyone insult my partner! Blast Rings!"

NeoDevimon scoffed and blocked the thunder-like roar with a flick of his hand. "Guilty Claw!" Like before, his claw stretched but this time, instead of being deflected, it enclosed itself around Aquilamon and sent him flying through the thicket, sending trees to fall over until Aquilamon's body exploded against a boulder.

"No!" Kristy screamed in distress. "Aquilamon!" She ran off in the direction of her fallen partner.

Jeri knew she couldn't be distracted by what Kristy was doing. If she was, then her own partner may suffer worse injuries from her lack of focus. "Digi-Modify! Formation Delta: Attribute Change Activate!" A holographic circle appeared in front of her and she quickly touched one of the center options, which was the icon for the element of light.

"Lion Cyclone Leg!" The turbine wasn't just spinning now but emitting a strong bright light, the counter for dark attributed Digimon like NeoDevimon. The demon immediately took flight using his tattered wings and shot straight up.

"He can fly from that position?" Jeri gaped before trying another card. "Digi-Modify! Hyper Wing Activate!"

Six shining, angelic wings grew out of GrapLeomon's back as he gave chase to the airborne demon. The two figures settled for combat in the air, trading blows but it didn't seem like much was affecting NeoDevimon while GrapLeomon was trying hard to hold in his grunts of pain from getting slashed by his opponent's long claws.

Kristy found Biyomon covered in bruises at the foot of the boulder. "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry… Kristy," Biyomon groaned. "I was completely helpless. I guess I really should've left it up to GrapLeomon, huh."

"Biyomon…" Kristy's bottom lip quivered as she tried to keep herself from crying. But what was the point on putting up a cold front there? "Were you worried about being useless? Because you're not, you know. You're strong too, just like GrapLeomon. But this is a case of the right time and place. It just wasn't for you."

Biyomon chuckled weakly. "That's my partner. Kristy is so smart. Always knowing when something would be disadvantageous for someone. Heh…" He smiled at his partner, extending a feathered wing to wipe away her cold tears. "I'll be fine, Kristy."

Kristy slowly took hold of the wing near her eyes. "Your wing! This was from…"

There was a cut there, an ugly gash, most likely from when Aquilamon got hit in the air and had thrown off Kristy. They hadn't even noticed the injury because Aquilamon hadn't said anything about it when he landed. Not only that, but he was flying normally enough but was it possible that since Kristy was in GrapLeomon's care, below, they hadn't noticed her leaning on one side?

"Oh… yeah. Don't worry about it."

"When you stretched out your wings and flinched," said Kristy. "It wasn't because it touched a tree."

Biyomon sheepishly looked away. "You saw that?"

"Of course, you're my partner," Kristy told him. "You should've said something if you were hurt, don't keep it to yourself." She stopped there because she knew that she probably would've done the same. "I worry about you, you know. You're one of my closest friends and my partner. We need to look out for each other."

"I know," Biyomon nodded.

Kristy helped Biyomon into her arms, grateful that five years had passed before this adventure began because when the pair first met, Biyomon was her size and heavier. Now, she was bigger but the pink bird was still heavy. Still, she put everything she had into lifting Biyomon and carrying her back to the battlefield. But even from where they were, they could see the two flying Digimon above the tree line, in full combat.

"Great, _now_ they're in open air," Biyomon huffed.

Just then, NeoDevimon was able to get a hit in, a quick swipe, digging right across GrapLeomon's stomach. If he was a human, that attack would've been fatal but it was still intensely painful as evident by his sudden roar that filled their ears. Before his wings disappeared and he fell back to the ground, he became suspended in midair, he went black and a data ring surrounded his waist.

"No!" Jeri tried to scream but it ended up being a heavy fit of coughing.

Kristy ran over to the other girl and froze when she noticed that Jeri's hand was covered in a crimson liquid. "Jeri… You're bleeding! What happened?!" Jeri slowly looked up wiping away the rest of the blood from her mouth and keeping her other arm over her stomach. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together. "You're like Takato…"

Back in the air, NeoDevimon didn't bother taking the fractal code so GrapLeomon just degenerated into Liollmon and fell to the ground with a thud. Jeri took a few steps toward the Rookie before collapsing onto her knees, going into another coughing fit.

"Jeri…?" Liollmon wheezed. "Why didn't you… say anything?"

Jeri smiled weakly. "I didn't want to be seen as a burden. I'm… sorry."

NeoDevimon slowly floated down until he was over the immobile lion cub. "This will be your second time visiting hell, won't it?" The fallen angel raised one of his claws, ready to finish the deal. "You should've never left in the first place!"

Jeri could barely move. For the past five years, Takato, Henry, and Rika had undergone their own form of training to bring up their stamina and they had done well. By releasing the power of the Zero Unit, they had gotten even better. But for Jeri, she never did any of that. She never even imagined that she would even possess the same powers as the trio would. So she couldn't do much of anything at that moment.

"No…," she choked out. But even though she couldn't move, the girl was desperate to keep her partner alive. When Kristy had gone off to check on her partner, she tried to get a green card, she tried to harness that curse to bio-merge. But no matter what, only the blue card showed up in her trembling hands. "Liollmon! I can't lose you again!"

Kristy saw the desperation in the girl's eyes and she flash backed to five years ago at that power plant when Garudamon had forgotten her. He went ballistic and Marcus was trying to stop him. She tried too but was blown away from the bird man's power. She remembered crying, begging Marcus to stop Garudamon and she also remembered an egg that showed up once it had stopped raining.

The pain of losing your partner is something that no one should ever have to go through yet so many of the Chosen Children had been through exactly that. But what about losing that same partner twice? That kind of heartbreak would be deadly.

Kristy shot forward, enveloped in an orange Digi-Soul. She wasn't sure what had come over her but she knew that she was about to do something that was more characteristic of her fireball of an older brother. "Leave him alone!" she shouted as she jumped up and punched NeoDevimon right in the face who immediately flew backwards, colliding into a tree.

Biyomon had been dropped by Jeri's side and his jaw was left hanging when he saw what his partner had done. "Whoa! Kristy!"

NeoDevimon touched his cracked mask. "This power… Twice now I have experienced it."

Kristy slowly straightened herself out as NeoDevimon stared at the girl in shock. The Digi-Soul was still seeping out of her but when she inhaled deeply, that energy came back to her body and outlined her in a soft orange glow.

"I won't let you take away someone's beloved partner," Kristy stated before taking out her digivice. "DNA Charge Overdrive!"

In a flash of blinding light that caused the onlookers to cover their eyes, Biyomon began to change his form. "Biyomon Double Warp Digivolve to…" As expected, his Mega form was bird-like, but his skin became metallic and golden. His form was massive, not nearly as large as Garudamon but big enough to cause surrounding trees to shake in his arrival. "Eaglemon!"

 **Digital Analyzer:** Eaglemon is a mighty and noble protector of the Digital World whose duty is to defend the world's citizens from harmful invaders. His golden armor is made from Chrondigizoit which is powerful enough to deflect almost any attack that comes his way.

"A Mega Digimon," NeoDevimon grimaced. "No matter… Guilty Claw!"

Just as the description said, his claw collided with the armor but the bird didn't even budge. There wasn't even a scratch on his beautiful metallic skin though sparks certainly flew when the attack collided with his chest.

"Mystic Break!" A white laser blasted out from Eaglemon's eyes, NeoDevimon faded out from the plane of existence in a puff of black smoke and it was a good thing for him that he did because the tree that the laser hit was rendered into ashes. "You cannot escape my eyes." The bird scanned the area before getting enveloped in a bright golden flame. "Kaiser Phoenix!"

In a full-body attack, Eaglemon launched himself at a black space that rippled and suddenly, he was body slamming NeoDevimon into a tree. Now that the combatants were out of the way, Kristy used that opening to gather Liollmon into her arms and bring him to Jeri.

"Hold on," said Kristy, reaching into her bag. "I know I packed a first-aid kit in here."

"Kristy… Shouldn't you pay attention to your partner?" Jeri inquired.

Kristy nodded with a smile on her face. "I am."

NeoDevimon was wedged between the tree trunk and the golden bird but he wasn't about to give up. If physical attacks won't damage this foe, then he would have to resort to more underhanded and malevolent tactics. "Deep Sorrow!" A wispy shadow enveloped Eaglemon and suddenly, he fell asleep and fell back to the dirt.

"Eaglemon!" Kristy gasped, turning around.

Jeri's worry for the avian Digimon overpowered her curiosity of how Kristy knew something bad happened. "Once he regains his breath, he'll come after you in order to try and break Eaglemon's evolution. You need to run, Kristy."

"I'm not leaving you or Eaglemon behind," Kristy frowned. "But what did NeoDevimon do?"

Liollmon explained. "NeoDevimon sent Eaglemon into a nightmare, most likely he'll be stuck in a memory of his which causes him deep sorrow, like the name of the attack implies. If he can't escape, then he will definitely die."

"A memory that causes deep sorrow…" Kristy nodded before shouting at her partner. "You remember me now, don't you? You've been reborn twice and you remember me! You won't spread chaos in the human world, not while I'm around! So snap out of it!"

NeoDevimon stepped over the motionless body, thinking that Kristy's attempts at awakening him were pointless but then a golden claw wrapped around his ankle. NeoDevimon froze up and he quickly raised his other boot, ready to stomp down on Eaglemon's injured wing.

"Mystic Break!"

NeoDevimon fell over, collapsing onto his back as he started screaming. His foot had gotten blasted by the white laser and was reduced to ash so he was writhing around in pain as Eaglemon rose back to his feet. His hand was still around NeoDevimon ankle so he started spinning around with the demon before letting go, sending their foe crashing into the same boulder that he had crashed into earlier. They waited a few moments and nothing happened so they could only assume that NeoDevimon had been deleted upon impact.

"He did it!" Kristy cheered.

"Thank goodness," Jeri sighed in relief.

Liollmon nodded approvingly to Eaglemon. "As expected from a Mega level Digimon."

Eaglemon turned away sheepishly, a blush creeping to his cheeks. "You weakened him a lot, I'm sure."

Liollmon and Jeri stopped smiling when they felt something ominous coming from the direction of NeoDevimon's body. Their suspicions were confirmed when a dark explosion could be seen, causing the wind to blow against them and forcing them to cover their eyes to keep debris from entering them.

"Interesting," NeoDevimon cackled. His voice was no longer deep and guttural anymore; it was crooked, high-pitched, and nightmarish. "So this is the power of a Mega Digimon. I've never actually had to fight one before." They finally saw him again and they gasped when they saw his face. Without his mask, his face was horribly scarred and distorted, his tongue long and forked and his eye sockets were empty and bleeding. "I want to taste more of that power. Guilty Claw!"

Eaglemon got in between the claw and his defenseless friends. Earlier, the claw did nothing to faze him but this time; it pushed him back and into the trees. The shadows came to life once more and wrapped themselves around Jeri, Kristy, and Liollmon, strangling them by entangling their necks. And there was nothing Eaglemon could do about it because NeoDevimon had enclosed both his claws around the giant bird and he was just swinging the body around carelessly, hitting every possible obstacle.

"Can't… breathe…," Jeri wheezed.

"Somebody… help…," Kristy added.

Liollmon was starting to lose his vision as were the others. Everything was going black and the ones captured by the shadows had no more air in their lungs while Eaglemon was just barely able to remain conscious. What could they do in such a situation? How could they defeat him?

"More! More! More!" NeoDevimon laughed raucously. "I can feel your despair and desperation! What delicious emotions!"

Eaglemon's vision wasn't spotted like his companions so when he was brought close enough; he could see his partner suffering. Just like how negative emotions spark power in evil Digimon, they did the same for heroic Digimon as well.

"Let her go!" Eaglemon bellowed, his body getting coated in flames.

"Eh?" NeoDevimon's smile dropped. "Hot…" He ended up letting go of Eaglemon which became a mistake for him.

"Kaiser Phoenix!"

Eaglemon's flames emitted such a strong light that it blew away the shadows that strangled the other three, causing them all to hit the dirt coughing as they tried to get air back into their systems. The bird man shot forward like a meteor and latched onto NeoDevimon, soaring right back for the same boulder and in an instant, a loud crack rang through the air as the boulder actually blew up into a thousand jagged pieces.

Kristy slowly got to her feet and she ran to check if her partner was okay. When she made it there, she found that Eaglemon was fine and NeoDevimon was still intact, thought missing a leg. The fallen angel laid there, laughing quietly as if everything he saw, looking straight up at the azure sky, was a hilarious joke.

"Sad! So sad!" he laughed. Their foe was clearly mentally unstable. "Humans are sad!"

Eaglemon took a step forward, nearly falling over from the various scratches all over his body. "It's time to finish this, once and for all." But before he could make the finishing move, the rubble underneath NeoDevimon rippled and a black hole appeared. "What the–?"

A faint smile graced NeoDevimon's deformed face. "Master's here."

A voice that Kristy remembered from the finale of the Digimon show came out from the darkness. "Again, your mask breaks, NeoDevimon. It looks like you are in dire need of upgrades and reparations once again." Chains slowly rose out of the pool of blackness and pulled NeoDevimon into it. "Chosen Child, you will suffer in the end. Remember my voice." With that, NeoDevimon was gone.

"What just happened?" Jeri asked from behind them.

Kristy wasn't one-hundred percent sure but she had a good idea. "I think we just got a glimpse of Apocalymon."

 **December 21: Tokyo TV Station – 9:59 AM**

Hiroaki Ishida wished he could be at Hypnos with the other parents but he had work to do. Thanks to his affiliation with Digimon, he had been faced with the opposition of Digimon haters, advocating for the complete eradication of Digimon. So they had their picket signs and protested right outside the station. They were incredibly obnoxious.

But the middle-aged man had to concentrate on his work and that included doing some PR stunts in favor of Digimon. He knew that his opinions of the digital creatures were biased but if they could have as many interviews and celebrity endorsements, they might be able to swing the opinions of some major dissenters.

Ryo's sob story was already pretty effective on its own. And the various press conferences that Tai held as the Chosen Children spokesman was doing a great job of showing the positive effects on the children that had to travel through the foreign dimension. But was that enough?

The main thing people were protesting concerned the children. Word had already gotten out when the kids of Yagami High walked into their classrooms to find that the DigiDestined in their classes had gone missing. The Legendary Warriors were all exposed now and they need as much PR as possible to make them seem like normal teenagers rather than hybrid beings with malicious intent to infiltrate the human world and destroy their way of life. Yes, this was something people actually believed.

People also believed that children were being forced to do something dangerous. It was so difficult trying to convince them that it was of their own accord that they did this.

He checked his phone and read the text that his ex-wife had sent him about their sons. It must've been the twentieth time he was saying those words under his breath but he couldn't help it, he was massively worried about their safety. What parent wouldn't be? Well, he supposed there was Mr. Akiyama who stated that if Ryo wanted to leave so badly and escape the family business, then he might as well not return at all.

"How cruel," Hiroaki sighed. "No father should say something like that about his own child, no matter what the reason may be."

"Did you say something, boss?" his subordinate inquired.

"Huh, oh, no," Hiroaki chuckled. "Just talking to myself."

"Stress getting to you?" he asked.

"Well my son is in a world that I know next to nothing about trying to save it and this one from destruction," Hiroaki huffed. "I think I've earned the right to be stressed at this point." What was worrying was the text Nancy had sent. TK was going to be fighting Devimon?

Hiroaki turned on his computer screen and took a look at the old files. He scrolled through the memories of the children from seven years ago before finding the clip he was searching for. It was their final battle against Devimon, when Angemon used up all of his energy and sacrificed himself to save TK and their friends. It was heartbreaking to see his own son cry like that.

MagnaAngemon had the power to remain on par with Mega level foes such as Piedmon and even the beastly BlackWarGreymon. So the father shouldn't feel so tense about this, right? But if Devimon was truly stronger than he was before, would they really be all right?

He looked back at his phone to read the text conversation he had with Nancy.

The last message she had sent was one saying that TK was going by himself to the top of Infinity Mountain. It's not that no one was going to help him but that they needed to take care of other business. And for his son, fighting Devimon was something personal.

Hiroaki rubbed his hands over his face. "Just please don't do something reckless."

When he uncovered his face, he jumped back in fright, his swivel chair clattering to the floor. The other workers nearby stopped whatever they were doing and looked to their boss. When they tried to ask him what was wrong, he didn't answer, he was too focused on his computer screen.

One of them tried to joke around. "Is that ghost back?"

Hiroaki slowly looked up and the teasing smile faded off the workers face. People started gathering around his desk while he called Hypnos. On the screen was the face of an old friend who was supposed to be dead but he always came back somehow. But unlike four years ago, he wasn't asking for a certain feline Digimon, he was asking for a certain person.

"She's not there?" Hiroaki frowned. "Well… Did she say where she was going?"

Just then, one of the technicians screamed and fell onto his butt. Hiroaki turned around and took a step back upon seeing the human-like Digimon standing there. She reminded him of a monk with the sutra beads in her hand and the silky robes dressing her from top to bottom.

"The woman you speak of… will come here," said the Digimon.

"I got to go," Hiroaki muttered into his phone before hanging up. He turned to face the tall figure while everyone else either stared in awe or tried to crawl away as stealthily as they could. "Who are you? How did you get in here?"

The Digimon looked down at the computer screen where another Digimon's face could be seen. "I am Sanzomon."

"The one who attacked Shinjuku a few months ago?"

"That was my apprentice, Gokuwmon. Not I."

"I don't care much for the technicalities," Hiroaki huffed, crossing his arms. Hopefully, this digital creature wasn't like Gennai and she could give him a straight answer. "What are you doing on Earth? After that initial attack, you and your allies did nothing. Yet you painted yourselves as an enemy of the Chosen Children. Just what is it that you're planning?"

Sanzomon understood why she would be under fire of such accusations and questions. "A test," she told the man. "In the Digital World, I command the United Xros Heart Army. Or at least, I am their temporary general. I came to this world to study the heroes that saved the Digital Worlds before. I wanted to decide which ones should go and which should stay. Once I figured that out, I asked one of them to make certain of who will go."

The explanation so far was easy to understand but somehow, it didn't make much sense at all. So she showed herself to one of the Chosen Children and asked him or her to make sure that the Chosen Children she chose to go to the Digital World, would go?

"You talked to Davis?" Hiroaki murmured.

Sanzomon nodded. "Out of all the DigiDestined leaders, he was the one most suited to go. Unlike the others, he does not worry about the future; rather he focuses solely on the present. When everyone's thoughts are on what will happen if the Demon Lords win, his are on how to beat them to prevent that future. His recklessness and in-the-moment behavior is exactly what the Digital World needs right now."

 _Davis stared at the screen of his D-3 which showed DemiVeemon's adorably sleeping face. He was just heading home from soccer club practice and the sun was setting already, but he was planning on making a quick pit stop at the park._

 _When he made it there, he dropped his duffel bag at his feet and sat down on the swings. As the chains squeaked, he took note of the emptiness there. Usually, there would still be a few kids being led home by their parents. But that evening, there was no one besides him. There were very few people at soccer practice too._

 _It made sense; this was the day right after the second Armageddemon incident, November 29. It was no surprise that people were afraid to leave their houses. The existence of Digimon had only just been re-exposed. How were they supposed to react other than fear repeat performances of events from the past?_

 _Random people on the street were asked on their thoughts. Many were appalled by the fact that their minds were manipulated by their own government, as if trust in the nation's higher-ups weren't already at an all-time low. Other people were terrified by the monsters that demolished their stores, the buildings, everything. And many were stating that they wished for them all to disappear. Not just the bad ones, but the partners of the Chosen Children._

 _If Davis hadn't received the blue device four years ago, would he think the same? No, he was friends with the Kamiyas even before becoming a Chosen. If he saw them with their partners on the television screen, he would back them up one-hundred percent._

" _It's not like you to be thinking this hard."_

 _Davis didn't even look up. "Sanzomon… Were you the one who brought back my Digi-Egg of Miracles?"_

 _The monk stepped forward and smiled. "Of course, a hero of the Digital World will need that much power and more if we hope to overcome the catastrophes that the Demon Lords have brought upon us."_

" _Where did you get it?" he inquired._

" _From Azulongmon, he entrusted it to me to make sure I bring it to you," Sanzomon explained. "He also gave me one of his powerful Digi-Cores which I must use to bring back your fallen allies, though I have assessed that it is not yet time to fulfill that duty just yet."_

" _I see," Davis nodded. "Allies, huh. I guess you and Gokuwmon are our allies too then."_

" _We would like you to think of us as that."_

 _Davis was not the brightest of the DigiDestined, not academically anyway, but he always trusted his gut instinct when it came to the more important choices as a Chosen Child. And at that moment, his gut was telling him to trust this monk despite the fact that she attacked the Wong siblings. Had it really been a test? He couldn't be sure. But he was going to trust her._

 _Davis hopped off the swing and turned to face her. "So, what brings you here now? Why me? Why not someone else?"_

" _I am a friend of King Shoutmon and my face is known to Gumdramon," Sanzomon stated. "I could've brought myself to either one of those Hunters. But Tagiru is not someone who needs to go and Taiki is someone who does not have the ability to succeed in the task I have for you."_

" _A task?"_

" _I want you to go to the Digital World with a select few others."_

" _And what makes you think that I will be able to complete this task?"_

 _Sanzomon chuckled. "I've watched you for a long while. You're stubborn, obstinate, and you won't take no for an answer. In most humans or any sentient being, such traits would be unattractive and rather obnoxious, but they're almost endearing on you."_

" _Heh," Davis smirked. "Almost?"_

" _I don't give compliments out easily."_

 _Davis combed his hand through his unkempt hair. "How much will I lose if I don't listen to you?"_

" _A human child once proved to me that my predictions are not always accurate," Sanzomon said. "So I leave it up to you. If you think that you should heed my words or not is all up to you. Although, I am willing to bet that you would've made it your own choice anyway."_

" _You really do know me well."_

Hiroaki turned around to face the window and he watched as an Indian woman walked towards the front entrance. Like Sanzomon had stated, the woman he was speaking of would show up there. It was like she knew that the Digimon on his computer screen was calling for her. Well, he wasn't on the screen anymore.

"Has it really been seven years since I possessed a physical body?" the new Digimon in the room wondered out loud.

Hiroaki glanced at him. "I guess it has. Welcome back, Wizardmon."

 **December 21: Hypnos HQ – 9:30 AM**

"Has anyone seen Rai?" Daisy asked. An entire conference room full of suits shook their heads. "Sorry to bother you. Keep up the good work."

The Russian woman closed the door and continued on her search for the younger woman. It wasn't like Rai to just disappear like that. No, that's not right, there was one time which she disappeared and Daisy had to search for her too. It had been decades ago though, when they were kids.

"Daisy, you okay?" Janyu asked.

Daisy nodded. "I'm fine. But have you seen Rai?"

"No," Janyu frowned. "But why are you so worried? She can take care of herself."

"I know. But right before she left, she got this frantic look in her eyes," Daisy explained as they headed back. "I tried to ask her what was wrong but then she fled the room. When I stepped out, there was no trace of her whatsoever."

The two of them remembered their own adventures in the Digital World from once upon a time. They had been especially close to Rai who acted as the team's glue when things got a little rough. And seeing their rather rocky relationships with each other, she had to do that often.

Before they were back inside the room with all the screens and the digital gate, Shibumi suddenly crashed into them. The three of them were sent falling onto the linoleum, groaning in pain. If they had been younger, maybe it wouldn't have hurt their weary bones as much. Before Janyu and Daisy could make any complaints though, Shibumi gripped both of their shoulders excitedly.

"What's got you so enthusiastic?" Daisy muttered.

"They're back," Shibumi stated breathlessly, a goofy smile on his face.

Janyu blinked, rubbing the bruise on his head. "Who's back?"

Suddenly a large buzzing insect flew out of the room and into Janyu's arms, sending the man right back onto the floor. As for Daisy, a little puppy-like creature bounded up and snuggled into her chest. The two Monster Makers were silent for a long time before tears started to uncontrollably spill out of their eyes.

"Salamon, you're back!" Daisy sobbed.

"FanBeemon, I can't believe you're here!" Janyu added.

Robert and Babel came over to the pair, each of them with their own partners in their arms, Ryudamon and Betamon respectively. The Digimon were in more teary-eyed states than their partners were, repeating the cheerful words that their partners remembered them.

"But how?" Daisy sniffed.

Robert knelt down to their eye level. "A visitor showed up on Rai's computer and that's why she ran out because she heard that her partner would see her somewhere else." He then stood back up and got out of their way to show them the young Gennai standing there. "He was the one who brought our partners to us."

"Gennai," Janyu and Daisy gasped.

"It's been a long time, original Chosen Children," the digital entity greeted them.

-X-

 **Kristy discovered the Mega form of her partner and Jeri may be next with her discovery of the Zero Unit. Hiroaki is worried about his son's safety as he should be; who knows how the rematch between TK and Devimon will go. And Robert's team is getting their own reunion with their partners but where is Shibumi's partner? What's happening with all the other Chosen Children? Find out next time on Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **Digimon Adventure Tri is out and one of my first ships is already one-sided canon, amazing! But if you're a fan of Digimon, then you know that it's about the adventure and the connections that the kids make, not the "romance". So let's focus on that. So far, I like the plot but I'd like some acknowledgement of the 02 gang. I have a theory that they fell three years prior which caused their partners to go back or something because of public outrage towards the quote-unquote death of four children. Wow, this got dark fast.**

 **Well, either way, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and don't forget to leave a review! Happy Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for you guys!**


	4. Enemies You Can't Defeat

**It's been a while. Ca va? Go-Busters? Sorry, I've been watching way too much Super Sentai. Well, things are about to heat up and the Children of the Past cast is going to be joining us soon. So I thank everyone who has given this story their support and I hope you all enjoy!**

-X-

 **December 21: Infinity Mountain Peak – 9:55 AM**

TK dismounted just as they reached the summit where they saw a deteriorating old mansion. It looked just like the one TK and the others had thought was a luxurious place to stop and relax when in reality, the food, robes, and the amazing bath were all part of Devimon's illusion. According to the boy's memory, this place should be further down the mountain. Did Devimon have the power to move a building somewhere else or was this simply another conjured up hallucination?

Either way, it was disconcerting to TK because it held one of his worst memories on File Island. It had been their first encounter with Devimon and their second encounter with the brainwashed Leomon. To make matters worse, the seven of them were separated in flying beds and TK was alone for days before reuniting with anyone else.

Now that he thought about it, TK had to wonder how he was still mentally stable after all the craziness he went through. Then again, he could ask the same out of everyone. Most of them were only kids, not even in middle school, when they were ripped of the face of the Earth and into a completely different world where the natural laws from their own didn't apply.

"TK?" Pegasusmon called.

The teenager glanced over to the winged horse. "Sorry. I was thinking."

"About what?"

"I guess… the past."

His partner was worried, even without being together for the last couple of years, TK could tell that. Pegasusmon was probably thinking that TK was seeking vengeance on Devimon for what happened seven years ago. And in all honesty, TK did want that. He wanted Devimon to pay for his actions.

"Every time I think I've moved on, he comes back to haunt me," TK sighed. "We should probably evolve you into MagnaAngemon, just to be ready."

Pegasusmon nodded before returning to his Rookie form. "Okay."

TK held up his green D-3 just as a distorted ringing sound reached his ears. It sounded awful but he could tell that it wasn't a passing Flymon because this was much worse. It felt as if someone was taking a jackhammer to the inside of his skull, causing it to start to split right down the middle.

Patamon could hear it too and he used his tiny little hands to press his wings into his body. It wasn't long before something fell onto his soft head and he realized that it was the digivice. TK had dropped it while he was covering his ears to try and dull the sound.

"P-Patamon!" TK grunted.

"TK?" Patamon whimpered.

Patamon didn't even have the time to register what was happening let alone scream before his partner vanished right before his very eyes. The flying guinea pig frantically looked around, noticing that the ringing had stopped and bizarrely, the building had vanished!

"Oh no…," Patamon murmured as he picked up the D-3 and became airborne. "I need to find someone and quick! Who knows what'll happen to TK if I don't!"

The Digimon flew away just as TK woke up to find himself in the foyer of some ritzy mansion. Well, no, it wasn't just _some_ mansion. There was no doubt that this was the same place which he and his team went to seven years ago. But what was he doing there? And more importantly, how did he get there?

"Devimon," the boy whispered. He balled up his fists angrily as he stood up. "I know you did this! Show yourself!"

"How impatient," a voice echoed with a maniacal laugh.

That wasn't Devimon. It belonged to a different, evil being. One that TK had hoped to never see again but when he turned around and saw the face of a clown, he jumped backwards, landing on his butt. The clown laughed as he hopped onto a giant, inflatable beach ball and started walking around on it while juggling some bowling pins.

"Piedmon…?" TK gasped.

As the two syllables were uttered, the scenery began to change. Carnival music began playing and the stairs kept flipping from slide to steps, slide to steps, slide to steps. The walls were aglow with copious amounts of vibrant pastels that seemed to rotate on an axis around and around and around. The chandelier overhead spun in a little circle, making quiet little tinkling sounds that kind of sounded like children's laughter.

"This is my funhouse," Piedmon laughed jubilantly. "Aren't you having fun?"

TK pushed himself onto his feet before running to the door to his left. He tried the knob and realized that it was locked. He turned back to see the clown directly in his face again and once more, he leapt backwards, hitting his back against the door and flying through.

This time, the colorful spinning lights were gone and instead, everything was dark. But one thing was for sure, he was in the foyer once more but he had come out of the right door. He looked back to find a wall and nothing more.

"What the hell is going on?" TK muttered to himself.

He decided to try going up the stairs but just as he made it to the top, he found an upright coffin in front of him. The doors opened and a vampire stepped through, slicked back black hair, crimson red cape, shining white fangs, and a little mask to cover his eyes.

"Good evening!" the vampire cackled.

TK stumbled backwards, falling down the stairs. It hurt like hell but he seemed generally okay. "Myotismon this time?" he groaned. The Digimon may look different but there was no way TK could forget those voices. "What is this?"

"My haunted house," Myotismon grinned. "So glad you could come over for a bite."

Like the classic vampire joke says, the being walked close to TK and opened his mouth, fangs out, ready to bite into TK's throat. With all the strength he could muster, TK pushed himself up off the ground and smashed his head into his assailant. Once again, it hurt like hell, but worth it to get away.

TK grabbed Myotismon by the shoulders and pushed him aside before scaling the remainder of the stairs. He was almost to the top when Myotismon suddenly flew in from the side, coming down gently in front of TK. So the boy took to other desperate measures and swung himself over the railings and back down onto the floor, tumbling to make sure he didn't break his legs on the fall.

"Got to get out of this nut shack," TK muttered as he burst right through the front door.

His gut hit the railing as he realized that he wasn't outside but back in the foyer! This time, he was at the top of the staircase, looking down on what looked to be a ballroom this time, filled with people dancing. But while they looked human, their movements were stiff and awkward, as if they were being controlled by strings.

"Hey TK, remember me?" a nasally voice asked.

How could he forget? TK looked up at the ceiling to find that there wasn't a ceiling though it wasn't like he could see the sky either. Rather, he saw Puppetmon's gigantic face and his wooden fingers wiggling around while controlling the dancers.

This was insanity. "Stop this!" TK demanded. "Let me out!"

"Only if you play with me," laughed Puppetmon.

The dummies stopped dancing and they all turned their heads around to face TK. It didn't matter which way their bodies faced so long as their hollowed eyes were looking at the human. Their mouths clacked open and little needles started darting out in the direction of the boy.

TK ducked around the bannister as he made a break to the left. Trying his best to weave past the needles but a couple lodged themselves in his arm and leg. They stung and he could feel himself bleeding but he didn't stop until he kicked down the next door on his left, running through and coming out of the right.

"What is it this time?" he huffed. "Machinedramon? MetalSeadramon?"

TK pulled out the needles as he looked around, noticing that he was no longer in the foyer. It was nothing to be relieved about as he knew exactly where he was this time. This was no longer an enemy from seven years ago but from only four. He was in the flying base of the Digimon Emperor!

"Why hello, TK," the voice of an old friend called out from across the dark hall. "I never did repay you for that punch, did I?"

TK tensed up as he saw the Digimon Emperor, cape and shades and all, step out of the shadows. The difference was that he was no longer an eleven year old boy; he looked like he was still TK's age, which was probably to make him seem more intimidating than he used to be. But unlike the Digimon, TK wasn't afraid of this kind of evil.

But the Emperor had insurance, as he proved when he snapped his fingers and the room brightened up. TK had to cover his eyes momentarily with his arm but when he looked again, he felt like vomiting. All around him where his friends, covered in cuts, bruises, hanging like puppets with ropes around their necks. It was like some deluded serial killer's sick idea of interior decoration.

TK knew that this was only an illusion. Everything around him, it was fake. He had been with a couple of his friends just moments ago, at the base of the mountain. There was no way they could be hanging around like they were now.

"This is like that Bakemon trick, right?" TK said shakily. He knew it was a fake. He kept repeating to himself it was fake. But no one would be stable from seeing what TK was witnessing. "When you made Davis think that we were captured by you and about to become Deltamon chow?"

"Good guess," the Emperor chuckled.

The Emperor took out his whip and snapped it, causing three of the ropes to start moving so that it formed a barricade between the boys. To TK's horror, it held the visages of Matt, Kari, and Cody by their throats.

Was this a torture chamber for TK this time around? His brother, his best friend, and his DNA Digivolution partner were hanging dead in front of him and he wasn't supposed to puke out his breakfast? Well, that was exactly what he did.

"Looks like I'll need to call in the custodians," the Emperor shook his head with a smile before clapping his hands.

As if this ordeal couldn't get worse. WarGreymon suddenly floated down from above with a Dark Spiral on his arm and he destroyed the part of the floor where the puke was. The explosion caused TK to fall backwards but he quickly crawled towards the now gaping hole when he heard the sounds of his friends.

Every single Digimon partner could be seen in the floor below, each sporting their very own Dark Spiral somewhere on their bodies. They moved around, completely mindless, and oblivious that their partners were dead by the hands of their evil master.

"You monster!" TK snarled through grit teeth.

The Chosen Child plunged his way past WarGreymon and slipped right under the hanging bodies of those closest to him before charging right at the Emperor. He threw a right jab which the Emperor caught and then slammed his knee right into TK's stomach, knocking the wind right out of him. To add insult to injury, the Ken impostor leapt backwards and snapped his whip which wrapped right around TK's neck.

"Can't… breathe…," TK wheezed, eyes watering.

The room was going dark again as he fell to his knees. He tried to train his glare on the laughing Emperor who was chanting that the child of hope was going to die. TK almost forgot, his crest was that of hope. He couldn't give up there. But what could he do in his state?

He needed help. Someone, help him!

Just then, the Emperor yelled out and TK could suddenly breathe again. Once the dark spots were out of his eyes, he could see that it was a Musyamon that had sliced the whip. Standing beside the samurai was a Turuiemon who charged forward and started releasing a flurry of punches at the Emperor who blocked them with ease.

"Are you okay?" Musyamon asked.

"Eh?" TK blinked. This warrior sounded womanly? Was this a female Musyamon? "Ah. Yeah, I'm okay."

Just then, the Turuiemon was knocked back but she quickly got back onto her feet just as the scenery shifted around them. Patamon suddenly flew into TK's arms just as the area changed back into Infinity Mountain's peak. No, in truth, TK never actually left, he was stuck in a dream world created by Devimon who was currently in the guise of the Digimon Emperor.

Patamon was sniveling. "TK! I'm so glad that you're okay! I was flying down the mountain, hoping to get help when I bumped into these two. They said that they were allies of the DigiDestined and that they would help us!"

TK could get on board with that. After all, they did actually save him. But… "Who are you two?" TK inquired.

"I am sensei Turuiemon!" the martial arts rabbit said, making three air punches for emphasis. "In one of my past lives, I trained one of the original Chosen Children in the art of taichi, muay thai, karate, kenpo, judo, jujitsu–!"

"That's too long!" Musyamon huffed, hitting her companion with the flat part of her sword. "We'll explain who we are later."

The Emperor, or rather, Devimon, did not seem happy with this as his body began to twist and soon enough, he changed back to the form of a fallen angel. He was as intimidating and evil-looking as TK remembered him to be.

Devimon hadn't expected to see two members of the United Xros Heart Army, especially not two high-ranking officials. He had assumed that he and his allies had destroyed or enslaved everyone that had been resisting them. Did that mean that Turuiemon and Musyamon were newly arrived reinforcements? Either way, he was going to make them pay for ruining his fun.

The demon raised his arms dramatically as Black Gears started raining from the sky and coming towards Turuiemon and Musyamon. TK took the D-3 out of Patamon's hands and quickly evolved his partner all the way to Ultimate. Although it looked like the two Champions were more than enough to keep the Black Gears from touching them.

"Hmph," Turuiemon scoffed as she swung a roundhouse kick and shattered two gears. "Compared to Dark Chains, these things are a cinch to break!"

"Chosen Child! Don't worry about us and just focus on defeating Devimon!" Musyamon commanded.

TK had so many questions on his mind but judging from what they were saying, they were once comrades of the Monster Makers. He remembered Shibumi mentioning something about Dark Chains. That they worked similarly to Black Gears and Dark Rings and that they could not affect humans or their digital partners. Supposedly, the Black Gears worked the same way and that's why the Digital World needed humans to protect it.

"Thanks, we will!" TK stated as he and MagnaAngemon charged towards Devimon.

MagnaAngemon was a few steps ahead though as he drew his blade and made a swing at Devimon but the demon just dodged it. The battle between light and darkness ensued as the pair clashed against each other, taking off towards the skies. TK bit his bottom lip as he watched from the ground, praying that his partner would be okay.

He wished he could do something though and as he touched his arm, he realized he still had a needle stuck in there. He hadn't even noticed. He pulled it out with a yell as he felt blood dripping down his arm and he wished he hadn't done that. But that meant the pain he felt was real even if everything else was fake.

As soon as that thought processed through his head, TK heard the ringing again. The Digimon, aside from Devimon, all yelled out as well, clearly being affected by the same thing. And once again, TK felt himself being taken somewhere.

TK grabbed the needle off the ground and stabbed his hand, much to everyone's shock. For a brief moment, he was back on stable ground, with enough time to grab onto a hunk of concrete from the deteriorating mansion. Like a shot put at the Olympics, he swung the piece of stone right for Devimon.

"The Touch of Evil!"

The ringing stopped when Devimon used that attack which meant that it was one of his other moves that invoked the ringing. The demon used one of his elongated arms to destroy the concrete chunk and the other to push MagnaAngemon into the mountainside, causing a miniature landslide.

"Excalibur!" MagnaAngemon bellowed, using his extended sword to cut right into the arm, causing Devimon to retract a little. It was enough for the angel to fly out of the way and as they could tell, smashing him into some rocks wasn't going to do more than give him a couple of scratches. "Soul Vanisher!"

"Death Hand!"

Both beings released energy of pure holy energy and pure evil respectively. When the attacks clashed, depending on which side you were standing, you would either be engulfed in a blinding light or a suffocating blackness. The offset from the attacks destroyed all the stray Black Gears though so TK was relieved to see their new allies were safe from harm.

"Tch, you're a lot stronger than I remember," MagnaAngemon huffed.

Devimon smirked. "I was granted this power by the Demon Lords. Why should I let it go to waste?"

There had been something that was bothering TK for a while. All of these past enemies that they had once faced, they were extremely independent and wanted to rule the multiverse on their own. So why would they follow orders from someone else? Even if that someone else was the all-powerful Demon Lords?

Unless the Demon Lords really did have that much power. Were they so strong that even the prideful Devimon was willing to surrender a huge percentage of the world to them? That they could make the cocky Etemon quake in fear? TK knew that the Demon Lords shouldn't be underestimated but that level of power was ridiculous.

The other thing that was bothering TK was that File Island was small compared to the other islands and continents in the Digital World. So why were there so many bad Digimon stationed here? Could it be that there was an active resistance against the Demon Lords? It would make sense. It would explain where Turuiemon and Musyamon came from and why they immediately chose to ally themselves with a random human and his partner they just chanced upon.

"Why are you so set on taking over this world?" MagnaAngemon asked. "Or a better question would be, why are the Demon Lords so determined to do this?"

Devimon chuckled darkly. "Who knows? Though I suppose I should inform you of something, MagnaAngemon."

The two female warriors joined TK as they all looked up at the two floating rivals. It was a little difficult to hear them from where they stood but Turuiemon's ears were sensitive enough for her to understand. And Musyamon had to say that she was decent with reading lips, even from a distance.

"And what's that?" MagnaAngemon inquired.

"Every attribute is born from a different human trait," Devimon grinned. "Fire is given life by passion and desire which is why your friend, Agumon, gets along so well with your leader. Wind is born from flexibility and freedom. Light is born from love and benevolence. Tell me now, do you know what darkness is made from?"

The sins? What exactly was Devimon trying to say? "Just spit it out," MagnaAngemon scoffed. "I don't want to play your guessing games."

Devimon's smug grin never vanished from his face as he gently landed on the deteriorating building, the tips of his feet barely touching the tallest piece of nearly broken wood. "Hatred and vengeance, the most vile of human emotions. Myself, the obstinate Myotismon, the Dark Masters, and Lord Apocalymon, we were all born from the wrongdoings of others and we vowed to take revenge on them."

TK swallowed but his throat was dry. He heard the origin stories for each of the Demon Lords and so many of them weren't bad in the first place. They were simply caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. As a matter of fact, the genesis of pride and wrath really stuck with TK.

Devimon gave up his life to bring back his deceased partner, Kurogane, with absolutely no hesitation whatsoever. The Angemon, on the other hand, had too much pride to do that, even for his own partner. Instead, when Devimon died and Kurogane was revived, the angel laughed psychotically because to him, he had won.

The Digimon of light, born from love and benevolence was the one to fall to darkness first. Not all dark Digimon were bad, they could learn from their mistakes and choose not to take vengeance on those who have wronged them. But Devimon and those he named were not those Digimon.

"Darkness does not equate to evil, is that what you're trying to say?" TK shouted. MagnaAngemon and Devimon both looked down to the boy. "Or are you trying to make us feel pity for the darkness? Make us sympathize with the Demon Lords? Well it worked. But your intentions are to take revenge on the whole world, making the innocent suffer instead of making the guilty learn, that's what sets you apart from other dark Digimon."

Devimon frowned and in a blur, he was suddenly in front of the teenager. Turuiemon and Musyamon immediately jumped forward with the intention of attacking him, but he blasted them both back with packets of black energy. The woman warriors were blown away as MagnaAngemon tried getting down to TK as fast as possible.

TK tried to move out of the way but then Devimon grabbed his bleeding arm. "Hell Contract." A droplet of TK's blood fell into the palm of Devimon's hand and all of a sudden, the world tilted.

MagnaAngemon crash landed face-first into the dirt. He stood back up and frantically looked around but there was no sign of his partner, his enemy, or the building anymore! It was just like before. Did that mean they were in that weird subspace again?

"Musyamon! Turuiemon! How did you two enter that subspace before?" MagnaAngemon asked in a panicked tone.

The martial artist and the samurai limped over to the angel. "Meditation," Musyamon said. "If you empty your mind and envision a path to the subspace, you will be able to enter it. But only for about a minute or two."

"That'll be enough," MagnaAngemon stated. "It'll have to be."

 **December 21: Devil Subspace – 10:35 AM**

The scenery around them changed and TK saw his assailant morph into Etemon. The area around them looked like the coliseum where Joe found his crest and where Agumon first evolved into SkullGreymon, another bad memory for the DigiDestined.

Etemon was still holding onto TK's wrist with an iron grip and he easily lifted the boy up before tossing him towards a soccer goal like a rag doll. He was probably getting bruises as he rolled into the net and he felt dirt getting into his open wounds.

TK swore under his breath as he pushed himself up. "Why go so far to torture me?"

"Vengeance," Etemon, no, Devimon stated. "I told you that I was born from the desire to take revenge." The image of the monkey pointed an accusing finger at TK. "Because of you, I was destroyed last time and now I will make you suffer for it. Dark Network!"

With a snap of his fingers, black cables shot out from every direction and completely restrained TK by latching onto his wrists, ankles, and even his throat. At first, the boy tried squirming and struggling but the harder he tried, the more likely an electric shock would course through his body, making his scream out in pain.

Devimon took on a new form, the Emperor once more and his signature whip. "I wonder how many shocks it would take before your eyes roll to the back of your head and you begin frothing at the mouth. My theory is four, shall we test it out?"

With a snap of a whip right across TK's chest, tearing up his shirt and causing blood to spill, another electric shock coursed through TK's veins. The pain was excruciating and in general, the situation was absolutely humiliating along with painful. But the pattern only continued from there, the whip, the shock, the whip, the shock.

"Has anyone ever told you that your mouth and chin look better dipped in deep red?" Devimon laughed when TK coughed up blood. He stopped though when he noticed the way TK was staring at him. "That's not contemptuous… Why the hell are your eyes alive and not angry?"

It was because all he needed to do was hold out. There was no way he was going to die there. "Someone will save me," TK coughed. "I know it. After all, I'm… the child of hope. Even if I'm not saved… don't think you've won… Because I'm just one out of hundreds of Chosen Children. And in the end, we will triumph."

Devimon did not like hearing that much confidence in someone who was a victim to his torture. In his rage, his form as the Emperor flickered and fragments of his real body could be seen in little gaps of his sophisticated illusion. "Die!" Devimon bellowed, sending the whip flying right for TK's face.

TK flash backed to the time Ken had done that to him. But this time, he could see the whip flicker and momentarily change to Devimon's elongated claw. That wouldn't just leave a mark; that would chop his head clean off his body. So he squeezed his eyes shut, resigned to this fate. But the claw never made contact.

TK fell into Turuiemon's arms and he could see that Musyamon cut down the cables. "You need to stop getting in these situations," Musyamon sighed. "Though I have to say that I'm surprised. Your partner got the meditation down really fast."

TK looked up to see MagnaAngemon with his blade extended, blocking the claw which was now actually a claw. "Of course… He's my partner, after all," he smiled weakly.

The strange ringing came back. It was made so that TK and Patamon would shut their eyes and covered their ears while Devimon took some of the boy's blood for the Hell Contract. He was then transported into that subspace with the ever changing foyer. It seemed like Devimon had quite the grudge on the boy.

"Tch… I've used up too much of my energy," Devimon huffed.

MagnaAngemon ignored it and charged running along with the elongated arm. "Excalibur!"

In a flash of brilliant light, Devimon was sliced right in half just as the world around them returned to normal. And with that, MagnaAngemon returned to being a tired Tokomon. TK gave his partner a thumbs-up just as he heard people calling his name.

He turned around to see the others running towards him. It seemed like out of all the humans, he was in the worst state. Though Jeri looked a little worse for wear as well. There were obviously a lot of questions being asked but all TK wanted was to sleep.

"Taiki, is something wrong?" Takato inquired.

Everyone looked from the Tamer to the General who was looking at the spot where Devimon's two halves were slowly dissipating. "He's still alive." Right after he uttered those words, the two halves exploded and then came back together as a new Devimon.

"But how?!" Shinya blanched, hiding behind Tommy.

"These guys sure are persistent," Kristy muttered.

It didn't seem like Devimon was going to fight them though. He just gave them one last smug grin before vanishing into thin air.

"He… retreated," Guilmon said, cocking his head to the side. "Why did he do that, Takato?"

None of them could answer that question but it was worrying to them. But for now, they had to treat their wounded. So with TK safely in Turuiemon's arms, they climbed down Infinity Mountain, heading back to Primary Village for some well-deserved rest.

 **December 21: Sapporo, Japan – 10:30 AM**

The mechanical drones of Tankmon flooded the city as they fired indiscriminately at every structure in sight. MetalTyrannomon rampaged through the streets and Andromon fired their missiles at the tallest skyscrapers. But the most prominent sound resounding in the capital of Hokkaido was the screams of the citizens as they tried to get away.

Sora and Mimi focused on evacuating the citizens, leaving it up to their partners to take on the small fry. But even so, it had already been a little over half an hour since they landed and they hadn't even seen the general of this destructive army yet.

"This is really bad," muttered Sora. "We said that we'd make sure there would be no more casualties but there is no way that everyone escaped the city before this whole thing started. We should probably regroup with the others."

Mimi nodded in agreement just as she helped lead a little boy back to his parents. "We've already evacuated this section of the city anyway. Let's go in deeper and see if we can find Yoshino in this warzone."

Dorulumon explained to them the problem that Splashmon comes with. For one thing, his humanoid form is actually a suit and his real form is a horrendous beast. Second, the general could not be affected by physical attacks because his form isn't completely physical, it moves just like water. Third, none of the Digimon in his army are real, they are just empty robotic casts animated by Splashers, a little invention of Splashmon because he doesn't trust anyone.

"I can't believe such a being exists though," said Sora.

"What do you mean?" Mimi asked as they kept running.

"Someone who thinks trusting in others is a bad thing," Sora stated. "I mean, we've fought numerous enemies who have thought that way but they've each had their own comrades at the very least. I never thought there was anyone who could really fight by themselves."

Mimi scoffed. "This guy is just arrogant. He trusts his own skills too much if you ask me."

There was another warning Dorulumon had given them. Splashmon can manipulate his shape and can essentially make himself look like any of them. So if they weren't careful, they could be fooled by an impostor pretending to be one of their allies.

For example, a certain police woman. "There you two are!" Yoshino huffed, running towards them. "Rosemon and Akari are already taking on Splashmon deeper in the city. But they're having trouble, do you two think you can call your partners to assist them?"

Sora and Mimi glanced at each other. It would be difficult to tell if Yoshino was a fake. After all, it was a big possibility that Kurosaki gathered data on every single one of the Chosen Children and delivered it to the Demon Lords and their allies. But thanks to Dorulumon's foresight, they were prepared.

Sora shot forward and punched Yoshino right in the face. The older girl crashed right into a concrete building. But just like they thought, the woman who stood there pretending to be Yoshino was just Splashmon in disguise.

"How the hell did you know?!" Splashmon snarled. He was holding his throbbing cheek as he stood back up.

The Dark General had not been told that the redheaded child of love could throw punches like that. But 'Sora' pulled off her red hair to reveal brown underneath and she also removed eye contacts that changed her eye color. 'Mimi' did the same and once they removed their disguises, it was revealed that they were actually Yoshino and Akari.

"Sorry, but we were the ones to fool you," Yoshino smirked.

"We borrowed one of Tagiru's Digimon," Akari explained, "Betsumon, who provided our disguises."

Yoshino pinched the bridge of her nose in secondhand embarrassment when she saw the oddball creature. It was basically child-sized and wearing a poorly made Gatomon costume with a rather unappealing face. Yet he had quite the bag of tricks. On their way from Shinjuku to Sapporo, he made accurate costumes of the girls for them to disguise themselves as Dorulumon instructed them to. They even acted as the girl they were pretending to be just in case.

"I didn't even know such a Digimon could exist," Yoshino sighed.

Just then, another Yoshino and Akari showed up but just like the other two girls, they were in disguise. They quickly changed out of them as their partners soon joined the humans. They were able to finish off the army with relative ease since their general was busy trying to play an old trick.

Dorulumon took a step forward so that the humanoid could see him. "I already know your tricks by now, Splashmon. You cannot reuse them and expect us to fall for them again. As a matter of fact, they didn't even work the first time around, did they? Taiki and Kiriha saw right through you immediately."

"That is the kind of power you can have with comrades you trust," Garudamon continued.

Lillymon wiggled her finger and shook her head. "But of course, someone like you would never understand something like that."

If there was one thing Splashmon hated more than anything, it was losing. And there was no way that he was going to be defeated by this ragtag team. They were tripping over each other when they were attempting to take on Laylamon. So he wasn't about to lose to this lot.

"Don't think you've won yet," Splashmon glowered. "And you shouldn't underestimate a Dark General!"

 **Digital Analyzer:** Splashmon's molecular structure is similar to that of water so he is capable of taking on the form of any Digimon or human at will. This ability makes espionage his specialty, so by gathering all the information he needs, he is able to relay it to the Splashers controlling his cyborg army in order to command them the way he wants. Splashmon puts his beauty as priority and will reject any strategy that will sully his beauty unless it comes time to call for desperate measures.

"Desperate measures?" Mimi frowned. "What does that mean?"

Cutemon answered from Akari's orange X-Loader. "Let's just say that Splashmon's true form is not very pretty."

"I won't let it come to that," Splashmon harrumphed. "Poisonous Force!"

From all over the city, the Splashers started flying towards them and they all started trying their best to avoid the nasty little blobs. It was no easy feat though, no matter how they moved, they all got hit one way or another by those things. Every time they destroyed one, it would just instantly come back together.

"Their molecular structures are also water!" Akari gasped.

"Stay in the eye of the storm!" Rosemon commanded.

Yoshino, Akari, and Rosemon tucked in close to Dorulumon as he started his Drill Tornado attack which acted as a shield for them. Sora, Mimi, and Lillymon did the same by sticking to Garudamon as she spun around to create her Fire Tornado attack. The Splashers couldn't even touch them through the tornadoes so instead, they gathered into Splashmon's body and suddenly, he was in a new form which the girls saw when they were out of the eye of the storms.

Mimi shuddered. "That is an absurd amount of muscle."

Splashmon didn't seem to hear her. "My beauty shall not be tarnished by you!" He raised his arms and from the ground rose these strange shadowy creatures that they had never seen before. Their forms were humanoid though they were completely black and where their faces were supposed to be, were blank white masks. "Voidlings, attack!"

"Voidlings?" they all repeated.

"Protect the humans!" chimed Lillymon. "Flower Cannon!"

"Kiss of Breath!"

"Drill Buster!"

Garudamon picked up the humans but they were able to watch as all of the Digimons' attacks harmlessly passed right through the shadows. The shadows started jumping around like a pack of howler monkeys as they charged at the Digimon, scratching them up with hidden knives.

"What is this?" Dorulumon grunted. "Our attacks don't faze them but they can attack us?"

"Don't tell me this is a new invention of his!" Lillymon yelped. "Maybe they're viruses? Flower Wreath!" She wrapped up a couple in her lei and it seemed to work, they were squirming about, unable to break free while incoherently screaming in agony. "That should do it."

"Hydro-Pressure!"

From Splashmon's fingertips, high-pressure water spouted right out and broke through the wreath but it didn't leave a scratch on the Voidlings. But Lillymon and the others were all blasted back by the force of the water, crashing into the nearby buildings.

" _His_ attacks don't affect them either!" Yoshino gaped.

"So no Digimon can touch them?!" Mimi groaned. "How are we supposed to beat that?"

Splashmon smirked, thinking he had won and mentally thanked whoever actually did create these mindless drones. But it didn't last long when the sound of helicopter propellers were heard from above. They all looked upwards just as a rope ladder came down, touching the top of one of the buildings and to their surprise, a knight in shining armor came sliding down while swinging a sword.

"You beat them like this!" the knight shouted.

The Chosen Children and their partners' jaws dropped and eyes bulged when they realized that they knew that voice. It belonged to Daisy Kaipova, one of the Monster Makers and original Chosen Children. But what the heck was she doing?!

To answer that question, Daisy landed on the building's roof before flipping right over the edge and landing on the sidewalk with one knee to the cement. Several Voidlings changed direction and started coming to her but in a flash, she cut their masks right in two with her blade. As soon as they broke, the shadows seemed to evaporate in the light.

"Digimon can't touch them but humans can!" Daisy bellowed. "But you have to be able to use your DigiSoul in order to do so."

Yoshino glanced down at her fist. "Is that so? Wait, before that, what are you doing Daisy?!" Upon closer inspection, they noticed that she looked significantly younger than how she was when they saw her last. Their confusion was escalating at an exponential rate.

They watched as Daisy sheathed her sword and as she weaved through the Voidlings, she swiftly unsheathed her blade and cut them down. When she was younger, she trained under Musyamon to learn the iaido technique, the idea of slashing while simultaneously drawing your blade. As soon as Daisy put on her armor, she remembered those skills, those lessons, and her talents as a warrior.

She shocked them some more when a legion of Voidlings started coming at her but she suddenly scaled the wall of one of the nearby buildings to avoid them. She flipped over their heads and landed behind them, with two quick slashes, they evaporated in the light.

Splashmon couldn't believe this. So many of his minions were being destroyed by a mere human. "Who are you?!"

Daisy smirked before sheathing her blade again. "Daisy Kaipova! The Knight of Empathy!"

Splashmon bit his lower lip before snapping his fingers, bringing forth four MetalTyrannomon. Daisy may be strong enough to take on some shadows but she shouldn't possess the power to fight four Ultimate level Digimon, right? But almost as soon as the cyborg dinosaurs appeared, Garudamon and Lillymon attacked them.

"We'll take care of these guys!" Garudamon called out.

Yoshino quickly joined Daisy's side as more of those Voidlings started showing up. "I'll be expecting an explanation after this," said the younger woman.

"And your anti-age diet," Mimi added from the background.

"Don't worry," Daisy smiled. "I'll be sure to tell you guys everything when this is over. But… Who is going to take on Splashmon?"

Akari walked forward and placed a hand on Dorulumon's back to show that she would support him. Rosemon floated down and landed beside the girl and the lion as well. "Don't worry, let us handle the big boss. We'll definitely be able to beat him."

Splashmon's confidence wavered momentarily. He never expected the group he would take on to be so cunning and skillful. But as he took a deep breath, he remembered that he was far more powerful than he used to be. He wouldn't let it end here. "Hmph… I'd like to see you try."

-X-

 **It looks like TK may be out of commission for a while but he was able to stand tall against Devimon at the very least. And the girls in the human world seem to be doing well for themselves. But everything has become more than just a little confusing. Just who exactly are Turuiemon and Musyamon? And what are Voidlings and who created them? Since when was Daisy a knight of all things? You can only find the answers by tuning into Digimon: Children of the Present!**

 **For those of you who do not know, in Children of the Past, I have basically made Robert and the others characters into a Japanese RPG. I will also be switching between Digital and human world rather frequently. After the Splashmon fight, we will be seeing Zhuqiaomon's world again and we will get to learn just how Rika is doing in the hands of IceDevimon. Excited? I know I am. I hope you guys enjoyed and don't forget to leave a review! Happy Holidays, can't wait to see you guys next year!**


	5. Crashing Tidal Waves

**You will be surprised to hear! It's time to get back into the story of the strongest braves in history, the DigiDestined! If you guys understand this reference, then you must realize… I have been watching** ** _way_** **too much Super Sentai. I basically have no life at this point. So I hope you guys enjoy this newest chapter and as always, thank you, all the supporters. But I would love more reviews please. Also, welcome to 2016, I hope it's a good one.**

-X-

 **December 21: Sapporo, Hokkaido – 10:48 AM**

Yoshino sent a Voilding flying, crashing into a cluster of others and toppling them over like bowling pins. "An avatar?" she blinked.

Daisy nodded as she cut down a few other Voidlings. "Right. Believe me, I wish I could move and fight like this but in reality, I'm just a bunch data, materialized and converted into physical matter to a point in my life before my hips started aching. As you see me now, I'm how I looked in my college days."

"Aw, so it's not some new anti-aging cream?" Mimi pouted.

"Do I really have that many wrinkles ordinarily?" Daisy mused.

Sora pulled her friend away from the deadly Voidlings as well as trying to make sure that the brunette didn't strike a nerve in the lady wielding a dangerous weapon that could potentially cleave them in half. But it was a surprise to hear though, that the middle-aged programmers sitting in Hypnos were clusters of data that resembled their college selves and currently fighting across the nation.

But the biggest surprise was the fact that they could fight like that at all. Were they really able to jump from roof to roof without hesitation? Did they really fight Digimon with weapons or even their own bare hands? It's true that Marcus did that but this time; they were referring to kids that were aged nine to eleven. And judging from the elaborate dance and skill that Daisy portrayed, it was a rather scary thought when it came to thinking about what the other five were capable of.

"What about your partners?" Sora inquired.

Daisy sliced a Voidling from his head down to his crotch before addressing the redhead. "We don't have our keys, without them, our partners can't fight. Like Shibumi said and Gennai confirmed, they were used to seal the Demon Lords and now they're lost somewhere. We plan on going on a search for them sometime after we take care of this madness."

Garudamon started grappling with one of the MetalTyrannomon and with her superior strength; she was able to push the metallic dinosaur back a few meters. Or at least, she was until a second one backed up his comrade. The one up front was lifted off the ground by the other and he used both of his feet to kick Garudamon in the chest, sending the bird-man off into the sky.

But that wouldn't be enough to stop a Chosen Digimon. "Wing Blade!"

That was one down and three more to go. Hopefully, Lillymon was having better luck than her friend.

"Why don't you guys be like DarkTyrannomon and be nice?!" the fairy snapped as she put a flowery wreath around her two foes. But it didn't matter much, not only were they not infected by a virus, but they weren't even real Digimon to begin with! Just empty, mechanical cases controlled by a little, liquid blob.

"Nuclear Laser!"

"Flower Cannon!"

Lillymon's own attack was made in an attempt to deflect the energy shell that was coming at her but it didn't do a very good job. Both attacks collided with each other but the force from the opposing side was so strong that it blew Lillymon back, right through the window of some office building behind her.

"Giga Destroyer II!"

Lillymon slowly crawled over to the hole she made and screamed when she saw the fast-flying missile. No one could deny that she was strong but as a speed-type, she didn't stand much of a chance against two power types. The most she could do was flutter out of the way as the upper half of the building exploded, sending cement chunks and shards of glass flying everywhere.

This time, Mimi saved Sora by yanking the redhead into an abandoned convenience store, just as a piece of a metal beam landed on the sidewalk, leaving a huge crater. Daisy danced around the falling debris and still managed to impale a Voidling while she was at it. Yoshino was the only one that wasn't as lucky as a cement chunk grazed her leg, leaving a bloody gash behind and a few glass shards embedded themselves into her punching arm.

Lillymon's wings were also marred with scars from the fallen debris. It left her flying a bit unevenly as she tried shooting some of her Flower Cannons at the robo-dinos. But her attacks weren't even strong enough to leave a scratch on either one of them.

"Uh-oh," Lillymon whimpered. It looked like she would just have to stall until Garudamon was done.

From a few streets down, Rosemon and Splashmon was jumping from rooftop to rooftop, shooting blasts of energy and high-pressure water at each other. They didn't do much to each other, but the buildings on that street were certainly taking a serious beating. They were crumbling like crushed granola bars.

Akari, mounted on the back of Dorulumon, followed from the streets down below, dodging falling blocks while she looked through her team for a good combination. Akari wasn't as knowledgeable on Digi-Xroses as the others but she had to try.

"Let's go with a new combination," she stated. "Dorulumon! Megadramon! Digi-Xros!"

Dorulumon's color scheme became a little darker as the drills on his head and tail changed into something similar to the claws on Megadramon's hands. Tattered wings also made an appearance on the lion's back which allowed them to take flight.

"Tornado Slicer!"

Dorulumon's tail extended and started cutting into Splashmon just as Rosemon pulled out her thorn whip and did the same. However, contrary to the Death General's massive bulk, he was flexible and agile as he evaded their attacks with ease.

"I'm not done yet!" Dorulumon growled as his horn started spinning. "Let's try an attack that won't miss. Genocide Buster!"

The attacks fired out like Ikkakumon's Harpoon Torpedo though they were dodged just like the whips causing a smug smirk to appear on Splashmon's face. But as the projectiles lodged themselves onto the floor, they exploded like bombs, sending the General flying.

"What?!" Splashmon gasped.

"Let's end it!" Rosemon shouted. "Charité!"

Rosemon flew up to Splashmon and her mantle became enshrouded in a powerful aura. But before she could perform her finishing move, Akari could hear what sounded like a zipper. A second later, there was a loud roar and claw tore out from Splashmon's body and crashed into Rosemon, sending her on a rocket express for the rooftop they were on.

"Rosemon!" Akari gasped as the Mega Digimon went down a few floors.

"This is it," Dorulumon grimaced. "The reason for why he's known as the Water Tiger General."

The Dark General that had been in love with his own beauty yet truly despises his true form that lied underneath. A hideous form that always looks like it is melting, with a head too big for his body and teeth that have no lips to cover the gums. This is a beast that will destroy anyone who has seen this form.

"Lord Leviamon revived me, he understood my pain!" Splashmon snarled in a distorted voice. He was absolutely huge and Dorulumon could feel his partner quivering in fear as the beast made his slow approach towards them. "A Digimon born like this is ridiculed, laughed at, turned away from, shunned, and looked at with disdain! A Digimon like Dorulumon or Leomon, such Digimon that are born with an ancestry of beauty and heroes are put on pedestals! It's unfair!"

"We'd stop treating you like the bad guy if you'd just stop acting like one!" Dorulumon growled.

"Liar!" Splashmon bellowed.

Water whipped out from his body as they charged towards the lion who immediately started evading them. Akari clung tighter to his mane so that she wouldn't be thrown off but while she didn't get hurt, Dorulumon was tripping up from the onslaught.

"Akari," Dorulumon whispered as he landed on another building's rooftop. "Dismount."

The girl blinked a couple of times. "What?"

"You're afraid, right?" her partner continued as he started running again to avoid the geysers aimed for him. "You don't have to fight him if you're too scared to. Let me fight on my own. I'll be alright."

Akari shook her head; she didn't want to leave her partner on his own. But then again, wasn't she a liability? If she was going to be hanging on to him like a toddler on his mother at the supermarket, then not much would be accomplished. She'd just be in the way.

This was probably Dorulumon's nice way of putting it. After all, she was a novice Hunter and she wasn't nearly as brave enough to try out combinations that hadn't been confirmed to be good ones by more experienced Chosen Children. It probably would be a good idea to get off before something terrible could happen.

But right before she could give Dorulumon an answer, a blast of water exploded behind them, sending them flying forward and crashing. Akari nearly rolled right off the edge and she could feel her heart pounding erratically because she was just a meter away from plummeting several hundred feet to the solid ground. As she attempted to get back up, she fell back down. Her body could not stop quaking.

"Dorulumon? Are you okay?" Akari called.

Dorulumon was fine but it seemed like the Xros was deactivated when he skidded across the rooftop. He was back to normal, if a little worse for wear. "I'm fine. But what about you?" He could smell the blood that was coming from the scrape on her arm.

And Akari knew he could. "It's just a scrape. I get them from tripping on the sidewalk, don't worry." But he was still going to worry and she knew that, of course. Dorulumon was supposed to be focusing on the battle at hand, on Splashmon, yet he still took the time to show his concern for her. "I'll find a place to hide so I don't burden you."

"What?" Dorulumon blanched. "No, Akari, I didn't mean…"

"Don't ignore me!" the Water Tiger snarled from three buildings away. "Tiger Typhoon!" His body swelled and generated a massive flood that charged at them at an alarming speed, wrecking everything in its path. Akari couldn't even scream as she was taken underwater.

"Are you okay?" someone asked breathlessly.

Akari coughed up the water as she blinked rapidly before realizing that she was in the arms of a badly bruised Rosemon. The flower Digimon lost her Burst Mode though, unfortunately, and it didn't seem like she had the energy to even maintain her Mega form for much longer either.

"Dorulumon!" Akari gasped. "Where is he?!"

Rosemon shook her head as she shakily landed onto the wet sidewalk. "I don't know. I flew out of the building right after the tsunami hit and I could only save you a second before it struck you. I'm really sorry, Akari."

It wasn't Rosemon's fault so she didn't have to apologize. Besides, there was only one thing that Akari wanted to do right at that moment and it was to find Dorulumon and make sure he was okay. It seemed like Splashmon had the same idea except he wanted to confirm that the lion was dead.

The Water Tiger was close and he was walking over to a demolished building. Actually, a large portion of the city was gone thanks to that flood, it was all leveled. Everything was so flat that Akari could actually see the battle that was going on several blocks away. It seemed like Sora and Mimi were running towards them, probably because they were worried after they saw the tidal wave.

"Found you!" Splashmon snarled.

Akari followed the sound and saw the beast standing over the flickering form of her partner who looked about ready to burst into a million data particles. The Hunter nearly stopped breathing when Splashmon raised a claw, ready to bring it down and end the life of the lion. And without caring about what would happen to her, she ran out of her hiding spot.

"Akari wait!" Rosemon called as she turned back to Lalamon.

The Hunter didn't listen as she got right in between the two wild cats, arms stretched out. The claw didn't stop as Splashmon knew that he had the power to crush them both in his attack. So he kept going, but the one thing he didn't account for was Dorulumon suddenly yanking Akari and himself out of the way, despite his injuries.

Splashmon's claw missed, getting stuck into the ground. "What?! You shouldn't even have the strength to stand let alone move that burden!"

Dorulumon bared his teeth and growled threateningly at Splashmon. "You're wrong! My partner is not a burden. It is because of her that I have enough strength to continue resisting you. By wanting to protect her this badly, I can keep fighting, no matter what you throw at me!"

Just being there for Dorulumon, showing that she is willing to go the distance for him, that is exactly what makes Dorulumon strong and proves that Akari isn't a burden. As matter of fact, the same goes for any Chosen Digimon and their partner. Their bonds make them strong but not even that would be enough to defeat Splashmon.

But even so…

"Akari," Dorulumon continued. "That's why you aren't a burden. As long as you are protected and safe, then–."

"Stop right there," Akari interrupted. "If I had stayed hidden like you asked me to, you would've been deleted just now. It is because I wanted to protect you that made me go up to you. And because of that, you protected me which saved _your_ life. So don't tell me to hide when we both know, we're stronger together."

Dorulumon was stunned into silence but after a few seconds, he chuckled. "Okay, you got me there."

Before Taiki and the others left for the Digital World, Akari made them promise her something. She made them promise that they wouldn't try to be a hero and get themselves killed for anything. Their response was that they would either die together, or not die at all. Together didn't just include the humans, it meant the Digimon too and Dorulumon understood that part now.

"Fine!" Splashmon roared, still unable to pull his claw out of the ground. "If you want to die together, then so be it!"

A ripple went down his spine and a moving geyser of water gushed out, slithering like a snake as it blasted in the direction of Hunter and partner. They closed their eyes in anticipation of the crushing pressure but it never came. Instead, they heard two female voices call out their names and what sounded like a high-pressure hose hitting a brick wall.

Akari opened her eyes to see Sora and Mimi standing in front of her, both with their arms splayed out but it didn't seem like they were acting as the shield. Rather, there were glowing lights in front of their chests, in the shape of their crests. The glowing red of the crest of love and shining green of the crest of sincerity. In any other situation, Akari would've brought up the close proximity of Christmas.

"Are you okay, Akari?" Sora asked, a little strained and breathless.

"Sorry for our sweat," Mimi winked. "We had to run all the way here."

Akari slowly pushed herself back up. "I'm fine. But what about you two?"

Neither could even answer as the end of the geyser finished its spray but Splashmon hadn't finished his attack. "Insolent fools!" he snarled before swiping at them with his now free claw. It broke through the barriers protecting the girls and sent the two older ones flying off, crashing into the concrete rubble.

"Mimi?" Sora gasped.

"I'm okay," Mimi huffed. "But my designer snow coat is in shreds."

Splashmon laughed, now that there was no one else to protect his prey from his claws. But it died down when he realized that the floating crests were still there, much to everyone's surprise. However, they didn't remain in the air for long as they suddenly shrunk down and dived into Akari's X-Loader.

Akari stared at the symbol on the little screen, looking like a calligraphy letter J. "Is this… what I think it is?" Splashmon raised a claw and swiped at the same time Akari raised her digivice and let the glow shine bright. "Dorulumon! Super Evolve!"

The claw stopped short of Akari's head, blocked by a drill-shaped spear, held by the new form of a knight in shining armor. "Dorulumon Super Evolve to… JagerDorulumon!" The lion now stood on two legs, wearing metallic armor that could only be described as majestic, with a flowing cape to pull it all together. It seemed appropriate as the head of King Shoutmon's royal guard.

 **Digital Analyzer** : JagerDorulumon takes on the appearance of a massive knight equipped with a gigantic, drill-shaped spear known as the Storm Stinger and the Mongrel Shield embedded into his non-weapon claw, though his shield has the dual purpose of both defending as well as slashing. His specialty lies in single-point penetration which is said that he is the best at, and also allows him to make single-unit charges on his enemies, breaking through them with ease.

"Whoa!" Sora gaped.

"Looks like someone is trying to take Leomon's title as coolest lion," Mimi giggled.

Splashmon was the only one who didn't seem impressed, as a matter of fact, he seemed rather distressed at the fact that the lion he envied for his natural beauty became even more beautiful. It angered him and he sent a legion of geysers at his foe.

JagerDorulumon raised his free claw and defended himself and his partner from every shot of water. "Mongrel Shield!" Once that was done, he spun his spear around and pointed it at his target. "Black Nail!" In the blink of an eye, he shot through the body of water, causing it to explode and sending droplets of the Water Tiger everywhere.

"You did it!" Akari cheered.

"Not yet," JagerDorulumon corrected as the droplets started gathering together again. "The only way to defeat him for good is to cause him to evaporate. But I don't think we have any fire power that's hot enough to do that in our army."

Sora pushed herself up and glanced over to where her partner was. She was able to watch as the last of the MetalTyrannomon fell at the bird's talons. "Akari, you're army doesn't just include the members in your X-Loader. Don't forget that if need be, our own partners are at your service."

Akari nodded just as Splashmon came back. "JagerDorulumon! Garudamon! Digi-Xros!"

To Splashmon's dismay, his revival came with the arrival of another new Digimon. "Xros-Up JagerDorulumon!" His cape was turned into bright crimson wings and tribal markings coated his brilliant armor and leonine face. The locks in his mane were now braided as they took on a golden sheen and in some angles; they almost looked like they were on fire.

"You can't defeat me!" Splashmon snapped. "I will not lose!"

"You lost the moment you made the Chosen Children your enemies," JagerDorulumon stated before his spear burst into flames. "Fire Storm Stinger!" Coated in flames and rotating at miles per second, he stabbed right into Splashmon's forehead and in a tornado of fire, vapor was all that was left behind.

"Digimon capture complete," Akari nodded affirmatively.

"You Hunted him?!" Sora and Mimi blanched.

Well, they supposed it didn't matter so long as the battle was over. So the girls and their partners regrouped and slumped down on a bench together, or as best as they could on a seat made for a maximum of four people. The avatar of Daisy disappeared though, her last words being that everything would be explained at Hypnos.

Yoshino couldn't take her eyes off the destruction of Sapporo though. This was the capital of her home island and it was in shambles thanks to one Digimon and his destructive army. There had to be a way for them to get stronger to avoid things like this again.

"The attack was happening for several minutes before we showed up," Yoshino muttered, knowing that none of them wanted to think about it. But they were going to be talking about it anyway in Hypnos later. "There's no way that all the citizens got out before Tankmon started shooting up the streets."

"We told the others that there would be no more casualties too," Yokomon wilted.

"It couldn't be helped," Lalamon sighed. "We did our best."

The others agreed though it still didn't make them feel good. Tanemon was taking it worst of all though. As it was, she was too weak to fight against machine-type Digimon. All she managed to do was keep them busy until Garudamon finished the job. She had been useless in this fight.

"Tanemon, is something wrong?" asked Mim, sounding concerned.

Tanemon shook her head. "No… I'm fine…" She feigned a smile. "Don't worry about me, Mimi!" As if her partner of seven years would fall for that.

 **September 21: Barren Desert – 10:00 AM**

Kenta shocked himself, nearly half an hour had passed by since he caught sight of the Control Spire and he somehow managed to keep himself alive while fighting these monsters. Well, no, not exactly fighting. It was more like running away from the exploding cherries and the giant ball of energy that would come flying down occasionally.

But he was tiring himself out. His original plan was to destroy the tower but MarineAngemon simply didn't have the power to do that on his lonesome. Not only that, but Kenta seemed to have exhausted his entire deck so far, none them gave his tiny partner the ability to even make the smallest of cracks appear in the Spire.

To make matters worse, he was actually wishing to be back in gym class, playing dodge ball where it was just him against his class. Not legions of evil trees and a dragon warrior with a bloodlust deeper than a serial killer's!

As Kenta ducked from another barrage of cherries, he found himself unable to move. He looked down to find his feet in Arukenimon's sticky web. To wrap things up, no pun intended, Mummymon mummified, again, no pun intended, him in his Snake Bandage attack.

"Now you can't miss!" Arukenimon huffed in exasperation.

"I'm amazed they all did," Mummymon added.

"Cherry Blast!" "Terra Destroyer!"

MarineAngemon stopped floating around the spire when he saw the dire situation that his partner was in. He flew right to his Tamer's side at top speed and blew a barricade of bubbles but anyone could see that not even that would be enough to protect them from this attack. It looked like it was going to be the end.

Kenta expected the feeling of thousands of bullets embedding themselves into his skin and then a nuke falling onto his head, blowing him to smithereens. He was at least proud to think that he was able to dodge the attacks for as long as he did seeing how physically disadvantaged he was compared to the majority of the other Chosen Children. Not to mention, he did technically save his friends twice from death so he felt almost like a hero. For someone like him, who was never at the center of attention, it was good enough.

The feeling of death wasn't as painful as he'd thought it'd be though. Although it kind of felt like he was being dragged underground, through the hot sand that covered the desert. One thing was for sure, he found it kind of hard to breathe.

Wait… Was he going to hell? But for what? He was a Chosen Child! Was that not a VIP pass into heaven?

"Open your eyes, child," a deep, gravelly voice said.

Oh no! It's Satan himself! Kenta didn't want to look into the eyes of the devil! "Please don't throw me into a cauldron of boiling water," he squeaked.

"Pu pua!"

Oh no, they got MarineAngemon too! Wait… MarineAngemon is a Digimon and he wasn't destroyed by a Demon Lord so by all logic, he should be reincarnated. And if not that, then he certainly shouldn't be in hell, not when he was an angelic Digimon full of innocence and purity.

Kenta opened his eyes to see another Cherrymon, sans Dark Spiral, staring back at him. Unlike other living trees, there was something soft in this one's eyes, a kindness and a gentleness that Kenta had never seen before. This one must've used one of his vines to pull him underground, safe and sound.

"Are you okay, boy?" the Cherrymon asked as he tore through the Snake Bandage. "You were practically delirious, saying some rather absurd things."

"Oh… sorry. I'm fine, I just thought that..." Kenta bit his tongue, refraining from confessing what he had initially believed. He couldn't say that! It was much too embarrassing!

"Thought what?" inquired Cherrymon.

Kenta shook his head. "Nothing."

The Tamer looked around the underground cavern to see that it was lit up by torches and that it had quite a cozy feel to it. There were tunnels leading elsewhere but as for where they were, there was a kitchen and a bed. Just how long had this Cherrymon been down here?

"Would you like some tomato bisque soup?" Cherrymon offered. "It will help you replenish your energy."

"Yay!" MarineAngemon cheered. Food was always a great idea to him, must've been Guilmon's influence. Not that there weren't times when Kenta was a pure glutton as well.

While they slurped on the soup, Kenta broached the questions that were on his mind, hoping for some straightforward answers, which he received. Cherrymon was a member of the United Xros Heart Army and an old friend to Daisy, one of the very first DigiDestined. He had gone underground to assist the Chosen Children that would destroy the Control Spire when the time came so he was only down here for a few days.

Apparently, while Kenta was running around like a headless chicken above ground, Cherrymon was subtly guiding him from the shadows. He would use his Vine Attack to lead Kenta by tripping him to duck Cherry Blasts and helping him stand up quickly so as to not waste any time. There was also a pipe connecting to the surface where the old tree could use his Illusion Mist, causing the enemy to see their target running in the opposite direction of where he really was.

So that meant… Kenta didn't do any of that. He had help from the shadows.

"Couldn't you use your Vine Attack to destroy the Spire from down here?" Kenta questioned.

Cherrymon shook his head gravely. "Just like how old foes return with more power than ever, the new Control Spires are made from reinforced materials. It would take a Mega level or a high Ultimate attack in order to actually destroy them."

Great, so it really was hopeless for someone who lacked power. "I see," Kenta sighed. "And if you showed up on the surface where your powers would be stronger…"

"I'd probably be either deleted or captured on the spot."

Kenta just had to throw himself into a precarious and impossible situation. He shouldn't have left the group and even if he still had chosen to, he should've asked one of them to come with him, someone who was actually strong, not someone who was just a lucky klutz. Like one of the Legendary Warriors!

The boy looked down at his soup and he could see his pitiful reflection staring back at him. "I'm an idiot."

"What makes you say that?" Cherrymon asked.

"I dived into this mess without even thinking about the dangers," said Kenta. "I'm absolutely hopeless too. Without you, I probably wouldn't even be alive right now. And it was because of my partner that my friends are alive, not me. All I'm good for is screwing things up…" No wonder Rika was always criticizing him. He couldn't beat any of the other Tamers in the card game no matter how many times he tried. Even Ai and Mako were getting good enough to beat him three times to one. "Why was I chosen to be a Tamer?"

MarineAngemon, for one of the first times in his life, puffed out his little cheeks in anger as he floated in front of his partner's face. The tiny angel slapped Kenta's forehead though it felt more like a wet poke. "Pu pua!" he shouted. Kenta, with the gift to understand his partner's 'words', translated it to, "Kenta, you idiot!"

"Eh?" Kenta blinked.

MarineAngemon continued his lecture which came out in real words in Kenta's ears. And with each sound that he made, a bubble would escape his mouth, with a different memory of them reflected on it. From the time they first met, to moments before when Kenta was being a little bit nutty, or the times after when he would try his hardest to compensate for his lack of power.

"It's true, I'm not strong and you're not very skilled," MarineAngemon started. "But despite that, you're always one of the first to say you want to help someone. And unlike most of the others, you're aware of your flaws and still look out for others while taking them into account. You're brave, Kenta. You're also kind, honest, and the reason you became a Tamer was because I saw these traits in you and chose you. So don't act like you're not worth anything!"

"MarineAngemon…" Kenta breathed. He had never heard the little guy talk so much.

"You also have a wonderful imagination," continued MarineAngemon.

"Imagination?" Kenta repeated.

"Haven't you ever wondered why the Tamers started their journey at the youngest?"

Now that Kenta thought about, for most teams, they were eleven or older, not counting outliers such as TK, Kari, or Tommy. But for the Tamers, the majority of their team was made up of ten year olds or younger when their journey began. Was it because of imagination?

Takato created his very own Digimon from art utensils and a notepad, Henry saw a video game character as if he was real, and Rika desired for something more than a game and even pictured the perfect partner for herself. Not only that, but using the cards sometimes required a creative mind for certain combos and the ability to know which modifications would be good support or a liability in different battlefields.

Kenta could get on board with that. "So we're Tamers because of our imaginations?"

MarineAngemon nodded. "Or at least that's my theory, anyway."

Kenta stumbled out of the bed and fell face-first onto the floor but he quickly got up and started laughing. "Well, it sounds like a good theory to me," the boy said, adjusting his spectacles. "Thank you, MarineAngemon."

"Pu!" he chimed in response.

Cherrymon looked between the two of them. "You understood all of that?"

Kenta wasn't sure how to explain that he did so he just reached up to MarineAngemon to give him a hug. Which was when he noticed something unusual, there were scratches on the Digimon despite the fact that he hadn't been hit at all.

"MarineAngemon," Kenta stated, pulling apart and reaching for his deck. "I want to use _our_ imagination this time. I want you to envision one of your lowest forms while I envision you at your highest." They closed their eyes as Kenta pulled out one card which started glowing along with the Mega-level Digimon. "Can you see it?"

"Not only see it, I think I _am_ it," said a new voice.

"Gomamon," Kenta chuckled. "That's your Rookie form, huh."

"I guess so."

"Do you know what I see?"

"What?"

"Our bio-merged form. I also see… us… back on the surface and kicking evil Digimon butt!"

Gomamon smiled, though Kenta could and could not see it. "Yeah… I see it too!"

Cherrymon's soft eyes followed another light, glowing on Kenta's left palm which had a Zero Unit on it like a tattoo. There were three black triangles surrounding every side of a rose-colored one. And when Kenta and Gomamon reopened their eyes, they saw it too, along with a Green Card.

Back on the surface, Arukenimon and Mummymon seemed satisfied when the Chosen Child didn't make a reappearance. They figured that BlackWarGreymon's Terra Destroyer had completely obliterated the young man into smithereens, leaving behind an enormous crater.

"Are we supposed to stay here?" Mummymon sighed in a semi-bored tone.

Arukenimon shrugged. "We didn't get any orders aside from protecting this Control Spire."

"I know!" Mummymon grinned. "We should have a picnic, Arukenimon! I can make you a delicious bento, we could be like a married coup–!"

Arukenimon shot a thick web strand to shut her companion's mouth, not wanting him to finish that statement. "I have a better idea. We should go to the Frozen Castle where that IceDevimon is taking care of things, and lend him some assistance. Maybe the Demon Lords will give us a promotion for eliminating more than one of those pesky DigiDestined!"

Her companion tore off the web. "Ooh, another brilliant idea from the beautiful mind of you!" Mummymon applauded.

They both clapped their hands together and nodded before turning in the direction of the Frozen Palace only to freeze up themselves when they saw someone heading towards them. Upon closer inspection, they could see that it was the deleted human and a Gomamon cradled in his arms.

"That entrance isn't cool like that!" Mummy blanched.

Arukenimon backhanded his chest, knocking the air out of him. "Who cares about that?!" She then turned her attention on the brainwashed minions and BlackWarGreymon. "And all of you, don't just stand there! Finish the job or I'll finish all of you!"

The Cherrymon army slithered forward. "Cherry Blast!"

Kenta wondered if Takato had felt this way, the first time he had bio-merged with Guilmon. The attack that should've been coming at them at unimaginable speed was now in slow-motion as he raised the Green Card in the air.

"Digi-Modify! Bio-Merge Activate!"

"Gomamon Bio-Merge to…" The two life forms joined together as their body became absolutely massive, along with the fusion came heavy rain upon the dry desert and a wave rose between their shining, evolving form and the cherry bullets. When the wave came crashing back down into the sand, having protected the new Digimon from the flurry of attacks, the enemies found themselves staring at what could only be described as the king of the sea. "Neptunemon!"

 **Digital Analyzer** : Neptunemon is one of the members of the elusive Olympos XII who is thought to be the god of the sea and ruler of all aquatic Digimon though he has not been seen for many millennia. There have been rumors that the reason for this is because a large majority of his data was lost on the chunk of land that King Shoutmon rules. The Scalemail he adorns himself with allows him to excel in agility, giving him the ability to maneuver on dry land as fast as the swiftest of flyers.

"A member of the Olympos XII?!" Arukenimon gasped. She then addressed their strongest pawn on the field. "BlackWarGreymon, take care of this nuisance! While I hide!"

The arachnid turned and fled somewhere, leaving behind her counterpart who only realized it a moment after she was gone. "Wait, darling, don't forget about me!"

Kenta, inside his little data bubble, felt absolutely ecstatic. As far as he was concerned, he was the fifth ever Tamer to be able to bio-merge with his partner and that seemed like a pretty grand achievement if you asked him. He could only describe the feeling of being together with MarineAngemon like this to be transcendental and despite wearing that Gallantmon-like armor inside the bubble, it was like he was wearing nothing, it was that easy to move without the embarrassment!

But there was also something off. There was so much power surging through his veins, probably because he was a Digimon that exceeded the Royal Knight level but Kenta himself was physically weak compared to the others. Takato mentioned it before; the brunet had to take a special martial arts course with Henry's sensei to improve his stamina before he could compete with the others.

" _Gomamon, we have to finish this quick_ ," Kenta huffed. " _There's no way I'll be able to maintain this form for very long._ "

" _You got it!_ " Gomamon's detached voice giggled. " _We just need to destroy the fake BlackWarGreymon and then delete that tower! Easy as–._ "

" _Dodge!_ "

"Black Tornado!" "Vine Attack!"

As Neptunemon, they didn't need the assistance of that kind Cherrymon to save them from the high-speed twister coming at them or the dozens of vines coming out of the ground; they weaved through the attacks like leaves on the breeze. Kenta mostly relied on Gomamon's Digimon instincts to help with that since if it were up to Kenta to handle their movements, they'd definitely get struck down.

But Gomamon was a novice in battle as well so at some point, they were wrapped up in Cherrymons' vines. Surprisingly enough, Kenta didn't panic, instead he just moved his tail around and broke right through them at the same time a Terra Destroyer came flying down towards them.

" _Remember how you wanted to try playing baseball but couldn't pick up the bat?_ " Kenta asked.

" _Yeah?_ " Gomamon replied.

" _Batter up!_ " Kenta grinned as a card and his rose D-Power appeared in his hands. " _Digi-Modify! Formation Beta: Energy Field Activate!_ "

As the name implied, Neptunemon became covered in a powerful defense shield which was more like added insurance, just in case. The merman raised his trident as if it was a baseball bat and as the ball of destructive energy was upon them, he swung hard, changing the sphere's trajectory towards the Control Spire before pointing the weapon at BlackWarGreymon who had tried to evade, thinking that his attack would boomerang in his direction.

"It's over now!" Neptunemon bellowed. "Vortex Penetrate!"

He fired off a sentient part of his King's Bite spear which acted as a homing missile that BlackWarGreymon was simply incapable of avoiding as it pierced right through his stomach. It left behind a gaping hole through his armor and body as he started dissipating into dust particles at the same time the Control Spire exploded.

Kenta and Gomamon returned to normal, falling a few feet into the soft sand where they laid there, completely wiped out because their bio-merged form took so much of their energy. But as they had suspected, deleting the tower freed the Cherrymon from the evil influence of the Dark Spirals.

The Cherrymon seemed lost, a little bit confused, but they seemed to piece it together when they saw a human down below. They cheered for the Chosen Child as another Cherrymon, the one that saved them and gave them soup, showed up.

"You have done well, young one," Cherrymon smiled, like a kind grandfather. "I'm sure your friends would be extraordinarily proud of you."

"Heh," Kenta huffed breathlessly. "Thanks, Cherrymon." He propped himself up onto his elbows. "But do you know where Arukenimon and Mummymon went?"

The two Ultimates in question suddenly came back though it was obvious that they weren't there to stay. And both Kenta and his partner didn't have the energy to stop them if they chose to escape anyway. But the fact remained, there was an army of Cherrymon there, those two bad guys couldn't do much if they tried. But…

"Why are you two still enemies of the Chosen Children?" Kenta inquired. "MaloMyotismon betrayed you two! The Demon Lords could end up doing the same!"

Arukenimon and Mummymon returned to their human form, the woman crossed her arms and when the male noticed, he did the same.

"We were reprogrammed," Arukenimon answered. "Every single Digimon that was ever brought back has one more added line of code embedded into them. Do you really think independent souls such as Devimon or Etemon would want to do someone else's bidding? No! The Demon Lords can make us do whatever they want because if we do not obey, we will be tortured, destroyed, reborn, and the cycle would continue until we give in."

"That's… awful…," Kenta breathed.

"That's how they work," Arukenimon scoffed. "Though they didn't have to reprogram us, only a fool would disobey the Demon Lords. You've seen their power, they've made even your fearless leaders quake in fear, haven't they?"

She must've been referring to Marcus. "So? Why are you telling me all this?"

"It's just some advice," said Arukenimon. "If you continue down the road you're going, then you will regret ever being born. So, here's a simple solution, join our side and you will be spared, along with your partner."

Kenta could see some things while joined together with his partner. They were some of the memories belonging to his partner's past life as an Olympos XII. Those Digimon didn't just possess insurmountable power, but if you brought all of them together, supposedly, something legendary would happen.

"You don't want me, you want Mount Olympus," Kenta stated. "And for that, you need Neptunemon."

"Mount Olympus?!" Cherrymon gaped.

"So be it," Arukenimon sighed. "But you have been warned. Now that you have proven that your partner is a member of the Olympos XII, you will be a prime target of the Demon Lords. Until next we meet!" An Airdramon flew by, covering the two human-like Digimon and when he was gone, so were they.

Kenta fell back down onto his back, looking up at Cherrymon. "Hey… You were surprised when I said Mount Olympus… What do you know about it?"

Cherrymon hesitated for a second. "Well…"

-X-

 **Whoa, both Akari and Kenta found new evolutions though the latter can't last very long at all. And it seems like Mimi's partner is worried about her usefulness. Not only that, but there seems to be something important concerning the Olympos XII, but what exactly is Mount Olympus and why do the Demon Lords want it? Or maybe they want to destroy it. Either way, we'll only know more on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **I couldn't even get to Rika. But don't worry; the rest of her group will be coming up soon. I think you guys will finally see what happened to her at the end of the next chapter. So I hope to catch you guys then, and I hope you're all having a great 2016 so far! Don't forget to leave a review!**


	6. Up the Frozen Palace

**Okay, we will get to Rika soon enough because I know you guys all want to know what is happening with her. But first and foremost, we have to see how her rescue squad is doing. So please keep your hands and feet inside the ride and enjoy. Oh, and as always, thank you, everyone who has supported this series. It means the whole multiverse to me.**

-X-

 **December 21: Frozen Palace 1st Floor – 9:32 AM**

"Seismic Sledge!" "Thunder Fist!"

The Legendary Warriors clashed against each other in a test of strength, when they were both sent backwards, it seemed like they were evenly matched. But Grumblemon wasn't finished as he smashed through the crystal ice floor with his hammer and then dug through the sand underneath. The floor fixed itself though as a new layer of ice coated it.

"Oh, well _that's_ convenient," Beetlemon drawled as he cautiously looked around.

From behind, Grumblemon shot out of the ground with his hammer ready to smash. "Jack in the Box!"

Beetlemon moved a little to the right, allowing the weapon to crash into his shoulder but grabbing onto it before Grumblemon could retract. "I got you now!" the Warrior of Thunder smirked, flipping the dwarf over with a judo toss. "Lightning Blitz!"

Beetlemon, coated himself in lightning from head to toe and then pushed Grumblemon into the floor, causing ice shards to fly about everywhere. But it didn't seem like the humanoid insect had done much damage to his foe who was suddenly larger than he was.

"Slide Evolution… Gigasmon…," the beast form cackled. He rose out of the ground while holding onto Beetlemon's body. "Now who got who?"

"Still me! Slide Evolution!" Beetlemon changed into MetalKabuterimon but Gigasmon tossed him away when his victim started getting heavier. It wasn't the best idea as MetalKabuterimon used the momentum from the throw to turn and point his barrel at Gigasmon's nose. "Electron Cannon!"

"Quagmire Twister!" Gigasmon started spinning erratically before the blast struck him, it dulled the shot and he snuck back underneath the floor. This time, he didn't stay under for more than a second as he jumped out behind his foe, clasping his hands together and smashing them down onto MetalKabuterimon's head. He then spun around and made a back kick that sent the electric tank tumbling away.

Lobomon would've lent his assistance to his comrade if he wasn't so distracted by another one of their old enemies, IceDevimon. The Warrior of Light could barely get close to the fallen angel because frozen stalagmites kept protruding out of the ground and lethal stalactites fell from above. The best that the humanoid could do was use his light sabers to defend himself.

"Why don't you fight me one-on-one instead of hiding like a coward?" Lobomon accused.

"I believe you have me mistaken for that other IceDevimon," his opponent laughed. "You see, I'm at least fighting my own battles, he plans on having others do it for him."

Lobomon flipped over a stalagmite that popped out of the ground and pointed his fist at IceDevimon. "Howling Laser!" A ball of light gathered around his wrist and fired towards the demon who only blocked it by raising a wall of solid ice between himself and the attack. "What does that mean? What does that other IceDevimon have planned?"

"Let's just say that he's putting a _ring_ on your abducted Tamer," IceDevimon chuckled.

Lobomon frowned before moving out of the way of more falling icicles. "A ring?"

There was only one implication that came to Kouji's mind but that obviously couldn't be right, it didn't make much sense at all. Then again, Renamon didn't say much about what happened when the Tamers encountered IceDevimon. Could that mean he was creep that wanted Rika as his bride, the same way that the king of the Dark Ocean wanted Kari to be?

" _We'll think about it later_ ," the spirit of Lobomon stated in his head. " _We need to focus on one devil Popsicle at a time._ "

KendoGarurumon made some sort of growling noise in agreement. " _Slide evolve into me, I can get you past those obstacles and up close and personal with that guy._ "

Kouji nodded before coming back to reality. "Slide Evolution! KendoGarurumon!" He landed on his now four feet and he rocketed through, past the stalagmites, and right for IceDevimon. The Warrior of Light leapt over the wall that had been erected between the fighters and once he was directly above IceDevimon, he opened his mouth. "Lupine Laser!"

A wide smirk appeared on IceDevimon's face as he walked right through the ice wall he had made, effectively avoiding the laser. KendoGarurumon was stunned as he landed, figuring that he should probably just bust through. But when he charged at the wall at top speed, something stopped him just one foot short of hitting solid ice.

IceDevimon's claw had shot through the wall and latched onto the wolf's throat, choking him. Then, with a powerful yank, the claw went back through the wall while KendoGarurumon crashed into it, realizing much too late how thick it was. The demon wasn't finished yet as he held the beast to eye level.

"Have a nice trip," IceDevimon cackled as he tossed KendoGarurumon into the aside and his wings splayed out. "Icy Shower!" Icicles shot out from his wings and collided into the Warrior of Light, sending the wolf sliding across the ice.

MetalKabuterimon returned to just being JP just like how KendoGarurumon turned back to being Kouji and they both stopped skidding across the uneven floor when they crashed into each other. They slowly pushed themselves up as they sat on the cold floor, back to back, while their opponents sluggishly approached them.

"What? Am I not worthy enough to be pummeled by Gigasmon's fists?" JP scoffed when he saw it was the human form of the Earth Warrior coming at him.

"This is not the time for jokes," Kouji chided.

JP grinned weakly. "Oh come on, _lighten_ up."

Kouji glared at the older boy. "Really? I can't believe I'm going to die with those being your last words to me."

"We're not going to die."

"Even if we survive, I'll still kill you."

"Now there's the spiteful Kouji I know and tolerate."

Grumblemon and IceDevimon were now directly upon the two humans and it was clear that they were greatly amused by their infighting. But their job was to delete the two of them and that was exactly what they planned upon doing.

"Seismic Sledge!" Frozen Claw!"

Kouji pushed off of JP, sliding right past IceDevimon and avoiding the claw that crashed into the floor. The boy then spun around on the ice, sweeping IceDevimon's feet out from under him, as an added measure, Kouji stood back up and sent a spine-cracking chop down on IceDevimon's back, causing the fallen foe to howl in pain.

As for JP, once his friend pushed off him, the teenager clapped his hands over the hammer, not minding the bruises that came along with it. The important part was that by using strength, he was able to disarm the Warrior of Earth and with his own hands free now, he sent three powerful punches right into Grumblemon's stomach.

"W-What?! Grumblemon got hurt by human fists," Grumblemon stammered as he staggered.

IceDevimon quickly got off the ground and joined his ally, though he wished he could see a chiropractor at that moment. "How is this even possible? I shouldn't have taken so much damage from a single attack from a puny human."

The spirits of the two humans were shocked as well though thoroughly impressed. It did make sense though, JP recently became a certified black belt in judo and he was the first ever second-year to become captain of the boxing club. As for Kouji, the boy had been taking karate for years, long before he even started his first Digital World adventure, he was even told that he could start teaching his own class of students if he wanted to.

"We figured that there would be times when we would need a surprise tactic to beat bad Digimon," JP grinned.

"Unfortunately, neither one of us possess affinity to use a DigiSoul effectively," Kouji added. "So instead, we used another power instead."

In Kouji's hand, it was coated in a bright light while JP's fists crackled with electric energy. Takuya wasn't the only one with mild control over his element; these two could do just as much as their unofficial leader. Not to mention, their opponents were the wrong ones to pick a fight with them in their civilian forms. Out of all the Legendary Warriors, Kouji and JP were by far the strongest.

Still, even being the strongest physically didn't mean they possessed the power to defeat their enemies in their human forms. But they were glad that they could demonstrate their capabilities to their spirits, it meant that they no longer had an adequate reason to hold back.

"If we combine our skills with your powers, we can win," said JP.

"So don't hold back for our sakes, just go wild like you used to," Kouji nodded.

After all, that's the only difference between the human and the beast spirits. MetalKabuterimon and KendoGarurumon don't want orders but they level themselves so that they could be put to use in combat. What they really want is freedom, to be able to do what they want when they want. Since the beginning, the human spirits worked together with their hosts, it was time for the beast spirits to do the same.

" _Let's unleash hell on them,_ " MetalKabuterimon droned.

" _No more holding back, huh,_ " KendoGarurumon chuckled.

"Execute Beast Spirit Evolution… MetalKabuterimon!" "Execute Fusion Evolution… BeoWolfmon!"

BeoWolfmon shot forward at a speed that could put jets to shame, and as he approached, IceDevimon and Grumblemon started leaping backwards in an attempt to avoid the fused Warrior of Light. The latter foe slide evolved into Gigasmon and together with IceDevimon, they protruded ice walls and rock walls but to their disbelief, those obstacles would explode almost as soon as they appeared thanks to MetalKabutermon firing at them before BeoWolfmon reached them.

"Plan B!" IceDevimon shouted. "Tundra Freeze!"

"Tectonic Slam!" Gigasmon shouted as he stomped onto the ground.

BeoWolfmon watched as the ground beneath him crumbled and rise to try and hit him while lasers were shot at him from the front. He may have been a strong Digimon, but that would've left more than just a scratch upon his armored body.

"Cleansing Light!"

But the Warrior of Light did not hold back as he fired a flurry of missiles whilst still flying forward like a rocket. The artillery exploded to counter the other attacks and in the smoke that BeoWolfmon used as cover, he was able to get in between the two enemy Digimon, slashing them both with his blade.

IceDevimon and Gigasmon slowly turned to face their assailant, forgetting that there was one other Legendary Warrior to worry about as the smoke cleared behind them. MetalKabuterimon stood, both his arms charged with orbs of lightning as he let them loose upon their foes.

"Bolo Thunder!"

In a huge explosion that sent debris flying in every direction, they could see the silhouette of Gigasmon as well as the two spirits of earth, hanging onto the spinning Fractal Code. MetalKabuterimon returned to his human spirit form so that he could take Grumblemon's spirit while BeoWolfmon took Gigasmon's spirit.

"That's weird," Beetlemon remarked. "Where's IceDevimon?"

"His stench is still in the air," BeoWolfmon huffed. "He must've escaped through the floor. After all, he seems to have the ability to pass through ice now."

"Should we look for him?" Beetlemon questioned.

BeoWolfmon shook his head. "It'll be too much trouble; we should join the others as soon as we can. We'll worry about our IceDevimon some other time."

"Right."

The two of them headed up the stairs but BeoWolfmon paused for a moment. "One more thing," he said before punching the armored beetle in the shoulder, causing him to wince in pain. " _Never_ make a pun like that again."

 **December 21: Frozen Palace 2nd Floor – 2:35 PM**

The halls on this floor were like a magic mirror maze, they couldn't tell which path was the quickest way to reach Rika. Ryo, who had somehow managed to be more impatient than Davis, accidentally set off a trap that caused the ceiling above them to collapse. Renamon was able to save the boys from getting crushed while Mervamon did the same for the girls. But they became separated in the end.

They didn't have much of a choice other than to keep on moving in different directions since trying to dig their way through the cave in could send the whole ceiling down on them. But with every step they took in the opposite direction made Kari more and more worried. Davis and Ryo were strong but they didn't exactly get along swimmingly according to what Ken told her. Not only that but as Ryo was now, they were both super reckless. Hopefully, she and Nene would make it to Rika first but there was no guarantee.

"Hey," Mervamon frowned as she pointed down the hall they were going through. "Are the walls getting… golden?"

Now that she mentioned it, they were. As they continued down the hall, the walls took on a golden, honey-like shine reflecting off the ice. Did that mean they were getting close to the next staircase? That was the hope but as they turned the corner, they saw honeycombs lining a massive room and HoneyBeemon mulling about like factory workers.

The girls quickly took cover near the entrance as they watched everything that was happening in there. For two of them, they couldn't make sense of anything while the other two had a sneaking suspicion crawling up their backs.

"What is this place?" Gatomon muttered.

"Those HoneyBeemon…," said Mervamon, an unsettled tone to her voice. "Nene, you don't think?"

Nene knew exactly what her partner was referring to. "Zamielmon, the Dark General of the Wood-Spirit Army. But… Why would he be here? This palace didn't even erect itself until after Ryo, Rika, and I landed in this desert. It's just too random."

"I'm guessing Zamielmon would be an enemy in this case," said Kari. "But why make honey in here?"

Nene shook her head. "It's not ordinary honey. You see, Zamielmon has the ability to shrink his size down to the point where he can't be seen with the naked eye. However, he can only use that ability after eating some of this honey. Taiki and the rest of us wouldn't be able to beat him if he remained tiny though so we had to destroy his supply."

Kari took a few steps inside, very cautiously, as if one of the workers would turn away from the assembly line and point their stingers at her. She's never been stung by a bee so she had no idea if she was allergic but then again, what sane person wanted to be stung by a bee as large as a HoneyBeemon? "Then hopefully, he's not here and this is just one of his–."

"Snipe Headshot!"

Gatomon leapt out and pushed her partner to the floor. "Kari, look out!"

An arrow came flying through and lodged itself into the wall, right next to Nene's head, causing her to swallow nervously at the near-death experience. She and Mervamon quickly moved forward to check on Kari, making sure she wasn't too shaken up by the almost headshot. But as soon as they left the doorway, a wall slid up, closing their escape route.

"Was that Zamielmon's attack?" Kari asked.

"Unfortunately for us, yes," Nene nodded.

Every Digimon in the factory turned towards them and from crevices lining the walls, FlyBeemon buzzed out of there, creating another swarm of insects to avoid. At the far wall on the other side of the room, a large door opened up and three Blossomon joined the party, along the Zamielmon's right hand, GrandisKuwagamon.

"Ah, so the foolish girl General returns," GrandisKuwagamon laughed. "And the traitor's sister is here as well."

Mervamon unsheathed her broadsword and swung it around to show how much she didn't like them calling her brother a traitor. "Hey, at least my partner and I don't have to return from the dead. Speaking of which, how about I give you another one-way ticket back to the underworld?"

Nene already figured out that the rules of the Hunt didn't apply in the Digital World which suited her perfectly, even if she had one of the smaller armies. "Reload! Sparrowmon, Beelzemon, Monitamon, Butterflymon, Etemon!"

Etemon popped out his microphone and tapped it a few times before bellowing into it. "Please welcome to the stage, the almighty, the benevolent, the all-round superstar, Etemon! And with him is his gorgeous co-star, the beautiful Nene Ama–!"

Butterflymon snatched the microphone out the monkey's hands. "Not the time."

"Interesting teammates," Kari remarked.

"You don't get many chances to go Hunting when your schedule is always packed," Nene sighed before smiling a little. "But Etemon means well."

GrandisKuwagamon uncovered his ears when Etemon was finished. "Hmph, it doesn't matter how many of you there are! FlyBeemon, Blossomon, wipe them out!"

"I'll take on the small fry," Butterflymon stated before turning to the HoneyBeemon. "Sweet Pheromone!" Now that she had them confused, they were easy picking for her. "Nothing personal, I just don't like bees. Sweet Kick!"

"Alley-oop!" Etemon grinned as he hopped up onto some of the honeycombs as if they were a stage. He ran around the room, taunting the FlyBeemon until they started aiming their stingers only at the primate. "Take this, my pretties! Concert Crush!"

"Monitamon! Digi-Xros!" "Hi-VisionMonitamon!" "Mervamon! Beelzemon! Digi-Xros!" "Xros-Up Mervamon!" "Gatomon Digivolve to… Angewomon!"

The three Blossomon charged forward, vicious plants chomping away wildly. But they were each occupied by a different Digimon as Sparrowmon, Hi-VisionMonitamon, and Angewomon took the initiative against them. This left the fused Mervamon and Beelzemon to fight against GrandisKuwagamon though she wouldn't alone for very long.

"Wingtip Laser!" "Flame Blast!" "Celestial Arrow!"

For three strong Digimon that were experienced in combat, it didn't take much to defeat some Blossomon, their battles were over before it began. They were ready to assist Mervamon when arrows came flying down from an unseen sniper.

"Urk! My wing!" Angewomon grunted when she was hit.

"Nene!" Etemon gasped when an arrow was sent flying towards their partner. "Watch out!"

He covered her with his own body as the deadly weapon lodged itself into his back, piercing right through him. Nene was stunned as she slowly pushed Etemon away from her, to see the sharpened point of the arrow protruding out of the monkey's chest. "You're hurt! You have to go back to the X-Loader!" she said in a panic.

"First… I know where Zamielmon is," Etemon huffed, clearly close to losing consciousness. "I'll take him out now." He weakly turned around at the same time Nene pulled out her pink X-Loader. A black ball of energy swirled in his hand before he threw it "Dark Network!"

"Snipe Headshot!"

The Dark General's attack was much stronger than Etemon's own as the arrow shattered the ball of energy and struck Etemon's forehead, right between his eyes much to Nene's horror. The General's scream was what caused everyone to turn to her and gave GrandisKuwagamon a chance to kick his opponent in the back before flying up to the ceiling.

"He's not going back to the X-Loader," Nene yelled as Etemon slowly disintegrated. "Etemon, you need to go back and heal yourself!"

"It's… too… late… Nene…," Etemon breathed unevenly. Kari and Angewomon quickly pulled the two of them into cover as arrows rained down on them. Once that was done, Angewomon joined the others in trying to finish off GrandisKuwagamon while searching for Zamielmon. "But… I'm really glad to have… met you. Do you… remember? How we… met?"

Of course, Nene could remember, how could she forget?

It was about a year ago, she was doing a Hollywood movie that was filming in New York which was where she ended up reuniting with Kiriha who was still trying to revive the Aonuma group. During the shoot though, some nasty rumors were being spread about her through gossip sites and magazines, it wasn't until later that they realized that other idols were being targeted as well, mostly the actors that were part of the movie.

Kiriha theorized that a Digimon had to have been behind it all. So the pair hit the main branch building of the gossip magazine that started it all.

In the DigiQuartz version of that building, they found all the workers and employees tangled up in black cables, unable to move, not that they could've since none of them were conscious. The pair followed the cables until they reached the roof, to find that the cables were connected to massive speakers that were blasting some awfully repetitive music with cliché lyrics.

The culprit behind it all was an aspiring idol. He couldn't make music because he was bad with writing lyrics and he was told that his voice wasn't unique by so many agencies. But he still wanted to be a star so he tried his hand in acting.

The movie that Nene was supposed to be in was the one-hundredth audition that the young man failed. So out of spite, he tried to ruin the movie by ruining the actors' reputations. The more lies he spit out, the more he wanted to destroy the whole industry.

As for Etemon, well, he was lost in the DigiQuartz when he heard the boy's sad song after the one-hundredth rejection. As a Digimon, he was attracted to human emotion, this boy's sadness at being unable to achieve his dreams and his anger towards the industry corrupted Etemon into helping create those rumors.

Kiriha fought against Etemon himself while the boy challenged Nene to a music battle. While the boy played his sad song, which was admittedly, so much better than what was being played before, Etemon was powered up. The monkey Digimon was beating ZeekGreymon to a pulp.

And then Nene sang her song which was the first one she wrote herself, never released anywhere. It made Etemon pause and wonder what it was for a moment because he had never heard anything like it before.

 _Kiriha sent his partner back into the X-Loader to heal up before addressing Etemon. "That's the music of the person you're trying to ruin. Someone who's worked hard and never gave up trying to put herself into the world of idols. And there are more people like her… Do you really want to shut down music like that?"_

 _Etemon scowled at the boy. "It doesn't matter what you think! It only matters what my partner thinks!"_

" _Partner?" Kiriha repeated before Etemon jumped off the ground and back onto the roof._

 _Etemon landed to see Nene trying to communicate with the lost boy. "That song Etemon heard you sing… Can I hear it?"_

" _Why? So you can make fun of me for it?" he shot back._

" _No… I just want to hear you sing it," Nene prodded._

" _I… can't."_

" _Why not?"_

In the end, he did let her hear it and Nene enjoyed it, the same way Etemon did. The boy was always afraid to sing his real feelings so he locked away the songs he wrote expressing himself. But once he opened it up again, he was scouted and in one year's time, his single reached the top one-hundred, peaking at sixty-three, on the charts.

As for Etemon, the monkey released the boy of his hold and asked Nene why she supported him when he tried to destroy her career. Nene's only answer was that she could tell he wasn't bad all the way around, not if he could write a song with that much meaning. She then asked Etemon why _he_ was so attracted to the boy.

" _Other Digimon… They make fun of my music," Etemon admitted. "I once tried to hold a concert and not even my friends showed up. One day, I had enough and ran away, only to fall through some hole and find myself here… in the DigiQuartz. When I heard that song… it… it… I don't know what it did!"_

 _Etemon sat down on the makeshift stage he had built, holding his head in his hands in frustration. Nene joined him by sitting beside him._

" _My guess is that it described exactly how you were feeling, frustrated, upset, and angry, right?" Nene asked._

 _Etemon didn't say anything at first and when he did, he didn't respond to her. "Can you… sing that song again?"_

" _Can you sing it with me?" Nene asked._

" _You sure my voice won't ruin it?" Etemon retorted._

 _She nudged him gently before handing him his microphone. "Just sing it."_

"I wish I could… sing with you… again," Etemon coughed. He gave her a weak smile and Nene started sobbing because he was only a head and an arm now. He slowly reached up and tried to brush her cheek, but his hand was gone before he could. "Wipe away those tears… Nene. It was… an honor being… part of your entourage… even if it was short."

"Please don't go," Nene whimpered.

"Hey… We… went on tour didn't we?" he remembered.

"Stop talking," she sobbed.

Etemon let out a little chuckle at the memories. "We'll always have riding in the London Eye. Or what about the Eiffel Tower? I really wish we could visit Moscow or Berlin again."

"We can! Just stay!"

"Do you remember how nervous you were during your first concert on the tour?" Etemon inquired, arm completely gone at this point. "You were having trouble sleeping so you walked out onto the balcony to watch the city lights of Paris. And then I asked you to sing me a lullaby. How did it go again? Can you… sing it with me?"

"Only…," she sniffed. "Only if you… sing it with me."

She touched his cheek, thankful that at least his mouth was still there as he opened it to sing.

 _Kira kira hikaru~_

 _Osorano hoshiyo_

 _Mabataki shite wa_

The last of Etemon's data rained upwards as Nene's tears fell to the ground, onto her knees where Etemon's head just was a moment ago. "Minna o miteru…"

" _Never lose your sparkle, Nene…_ "

Kari was familiar to losing friends in battle, this wasn't the first time and she knew for a fact that it wouldn't be the last. But they didn't have any time to grieve for Etemon yet, not until they took care of Zamielmon. And in order to do that, Nene needed to focus on the battle at hand, there was no way Angewomon could defeat a Dark General by herself.

"Butterflymon! Monitamon!" Nene called out when she saw them crash into the ground. She quickly pointed her X-Loader at them and brought them back into it, just before some arrows struck the ground where they were. "I'm not going to lose you guys as well."

"We can't even get close to GrandisKuwagamon!" Mervamon shouted.

"There are too many arrows keeping us at bay," Angewomon reported.

The remaining three Digimon flew around in what appeared to be a figure 8, they were only able to avoid getting struck by arrows because they were so fast and accustomed to battle. But if they weren't careful, they could lose a wing or possibly more. And to make matters worse, three HoneyBeemon flew out of the woodwork, it seemed like Butterflymon hadn't finished them all off.

"Paralyze them to keep them still!" GrandisKuwagamon ordered them.

The trio of insects flew higher though, until they were right above GrandisKuwagamon before releasing their poisonous powder. "Sweet Spray!" It came as a huge surprise to GrandisKuwagamon but he had no time to register the betrayal as he became woozy and crashed down to the ground, soon followed by another Digimon who turned back to a normal size.

"Ugh, more traitors?!" GrandisKuwagamon snarled.

"We can't be traitors if we were never on your side!" one of them buzzed.

"That's right! We're part of the United Xros Heart Army!" another chimed in.

"But more importantly!" the last one said before they all pulled out paper fans with Zoey's face on them. "We're the founding members of the Kazemon fan club!"

The bees quickly pointed their fans at the fallen bugs while looking over to the Chosen partners. "Quick, get them before our poison wears off!"

"Celestial Arrow!" "Sexy the Cannon!" "Lightning Lasers!"

The three attacks came crashing down on the two Digimon, destroying GrandisKuwagamon instantaneously, but Zamielmon was able to escape. Even with the effects of the poison, he was still able to move at alarming speeds. He then pointed his crossbow at the HoneyBeemon and fired, causing them to panic but Mervamon protected them with her sword.

"Nene, since the rules of the Hunt don't apply, you can Xros more than two Digimon, right?" Kari asked.

Nene nodded before raising her X-Loader. "Xros-Up Mervamon! Sparrowmon! Angewomon! Digi-Xros!"

"Xros-Up JetMervamon!" The three female Digimon collided into each other and took on a brand new form, one with the shining golden armor of Sparrowmon, the brilliant angelic wings of Angewomon, the powerful broadsword of Mervamon, and the remaining cannon of Beelzemon. The three HoneyBeemon quickly took cover with Kari and Nene before the fight would begin between the fused Digimon and the Dark General.

Zamielmon wasn't the least bit fazed by the new Digimon. "No matter how many Digimon you put together, you still will not be able to beat me."

"We'll see about that!" JetMervamon glared before pointing her firearm at him. "Celestial Cannon!"

Zamielmon smirked before vanishing, using his superior speed to his advantage as he avoided the cannon and reappeared right behind his foe. Thankfully, with Mervamon's senses and Sparrowmon's speed, they were able to avoid getting cut by his bow. But he wasn't done yet as he pointed in a random direction and fired. "Arrow Blizzard!"

The arrows vanished before hitting the wall and they reappeared at random. Though the one thing that wasn't random was the fact that they were all aimed for JetMervamon. The female warrior used both her blade and her cannon to defend herself while Zamielmon watched in amusement.

"I can't win without Taiki, after all," Nene murmured.

Kari gripped the other girl's arm. "Don't say that. We're not going to lose."

"Final Heartbreak Charm!" JetMervamon shot forward with her sword swinging and coated in a bright light, eliminating the rest of the arrows and going for Zamielmon. But when she turned to look at him, he was gone. "What?"

"Behind you!" Kari shouted.

"Bow Cutter!"

JetMervamon raised her cannon arm just in time, blocking the slash as she swiped her sword, which he evaded by flying over her head. Once again, he was behind her and he made a round house kick which she effectively dodged. Unfortunately, a hidden arrow in Zamielmon's shoe shot out and struck one of her angel wings.

"Agh!" JetMervamon screamed out in pain.

"Foot Shot!" Zamielmon smirked before pointing his bow at them again. "Arrow Lance!"

JetMervamon was struck by a flurry of arrows, each lodging themselves into her torso before she crashed into the ground, returning as four Digimon. There was no doubt anymore that Zamielmon was stronger, but he appeared to be even smarter and faster than he once was before. No doubt he was looking to get revenge on the General and her partners as well.

"Say hello to that monkey in the afterlife," Zamielmon grinned. "Snipe Headshot!"

"No!" Nene screamed, holding up her X-Loader to return them.

Instead, Kari grabbed the pink X-Loader and made her own command. "Angewomon! Sparrowmon! Digi-Xros!"

"JetAngewomon!" The angel's wings resembled those of Sparrowmon's, giving her phenomenal speed though not enough to compete with Zamielmon. But the one thing Kari noticed was that the arrows Zamielmon fired weren't nearly as fast as their owner. Lucky for them, it was the arrow they were challenging at a speed contest. "Sonic Arrow!"

JetAngewomon fired her own arrows which was able to counter those of Zamielmon, much to his surprise. But he wasn't done yet as he flew straight for them, crossbow blazing as he fired wildly. Unfortunately for him, Beelzemon and Mervamon quickly acted as JetAngewomon's personal guards as they blocked the arrows, giving JetAngewomon the time to think of her next action before Zamielmon could reach them.

"Holy Air!"

A circle of light appeared above their heads, right as Zamielmon was a millimeter away from cutting into Mervamon's face. The light paralyzed Zamielmon, keeping him stunned and he struggled to move his numb limbs even a little bit further. But even if he could, he wouldn't be able to strike them down because Holy Air didn't just paralyze foes, but it healed her allies, giving Mervamon and Beelzemon the strength to move around more freely.

"We don't use this attack very often," Kari stated. "And usually, against a foe like you, you'd probably be able to dodge it. But we noticed that when you were fighting with Xros-Up JetMervamon, you kept trying to get close to them rather than keep your distance and fire arrows."

"So…" Zamielmon smirked, clearly impressed by the non-General's strategy. "You intentionally made me get closer so you could paralyze me… Not bad for a Chosen brat."

The HoneyBeemon cheered in unison for what looked to be the turning point. "Yay, Kari! Go, Kari!" Nene seemed to be the only one on the good guy's side that wasn't ecstatic about this sudden development. She was grateful to Kari for this plan of course, and relieved that her partners were safe, but she had been almost completely useless in this fight.

"Let's finish it!" stated Beelzemon, aiming his cannon. "Oblivion Cannon!"

"It's over Zamielmon!" Mervamon added before spinning up a tornado. "Madness Merry-Go-Round!"

"For Etemon!" JetAngewomon finished, drawing her bow. "Sonic Arrow!"

Right before the attacks hit Zamielmon, he smirked, not that anyone could catch it in that split second. But what they were able to catch was their attacks flying right past him and nearly hitting each other. When the initial shock wore away, Zamielmon was nowhere to be found.

"Arrow Blizzard!"

From above, a hailstorm of arrows rained down on them and they were all struck and pinned down, rendered unable to move. What Zamielmon had done was a precaution; he wore a special hidden tube that was on him, connected to a bottle of his special honey. He took a large gulp of it before the attacks struck him, causing him to shrink down and dodge the attacks.

"I know all about Holy Air, you know," Zamielmon smirked as he looked down on his enemies. From up there, they were the ones that looked like insects. "The one thing I know for certain is that unless you're fighting a dark-attribute Digimon, the effect doesn't last very long. So I knew that in just a few seconds, I would be able to move again. It seems the only thing it did was heal you guys enough to survive my attack. But it's over now."

Zamielmon pointed his weapon at JetAngewomon but before he could do anything, the wall exploded.

"What?" Kari blinked rapidly.

"Huh?" Nene added her own confusion.

Zamielmon was just as perplexed as they were as he turned to the new hole in the wall to see a lady's silhouette standing there. Her hair was tied in two thick braids while she wore a hat with little wings, it appeared. In one hand, she wielded a small, circular shield while her other hand was raised and holding a massive broadsword, about as tall as she was. Most likely, she had used that blade to break through the wall.

"Who are you?" Zamielmon demanded.

She didn't answer him; instead, she took a step forward so that they could see her in a better light. "I found you~!" she sang before jumping down and landing in front of Mervamon. "It's been a long while, Mervamon~!"

"Eh? Do I… know you?" Mervamon inquired.

The smaller woman Digimon pouted. "How rude! You don't remember me?"

Kari and Nene both gasped when they realized something, this new Digimon had snakes all over her, on her wrists, her head, and her broadsword which resembled much like Mervamon's own blade. Not only that, but both of their hair were put up in braids. Was it a possibility that these two Digimon were related somehow?

Zamielmon seemed to have recognized her first though. "Snipe Headshot!"

The new Digimon blocked the arrow with her shield before jumping upwards, high enough to be eye level with the hovering bug. "Madness Merry-Go-Round!" There was another moment of stunned silence as they watched this Digimon perform the same move that Mervamon had moments ago. Zamielmon dodged the attack and landed near the gaping hole she had made.

"Minervamon," the Dark General muttered. "I never expected to fight a member of the Olympus XII."

Minervamon giggled, throwing her sword over her shoulder. "Then you better run before you have a taste of my real power."

 **Digital Analyzer** : Minervamon is a member of the Olympos XII who is said to be the goddess that represents wisdom and strategy though her rambunctious personality would say otherwise. Contrary to her rather diminutive physique, she possesses superhuman strength which allows her to wield Olympia, the sword that is the same height as she. There is a childlike innocence about her but there are times when she becomes violently unstable, it would be best to avoid her in such moods.

"Hmph, I'm not scared of another little girl joining the fight," Zamielmon hissed.

"Oh, really?" Minervamon laughed. "I'm in a pretty bad mood as it is because my sweet Mervamon doesn't remember me. Do you really want to test my patience that badly? I can show you one of my infamous tantrums."

Zamielmon didn't look as confident as he had before so he knelt down and scooped up some honey in his hands. "Well, my job was only to stall them anyhow. By now, IceDevimon should already be done with his assignment so I guess I will spare you today." He ate some of the honey and shrunk down. "Goodbye runts, I'll be sure to destroy you another day."

Almost as soon as he was gone, another explosion went off near the entrance, destroying the door that was in the way. MetalKabuterimon and BeoWolfmon strolled in shifting into a sprint over to their comrades when they saw them.

"Is that the enemy we're facing?" BeoWolfmon inquired, referring to Minervamon.

"No, wait!" Kari called out, stopping them. "Minervamon isn't an enemy. She's on our side and she saved us."

Minervamon stuck her tongue out playfully. "I was only bluffing too. I can't go into tantrum mode anymore."

"Eh? You were bluffing?" Angewomon blanched.

"It was a rather convincing act then," Sparrowmon added.

Mervamon stood up with the help of BeoWolfmon. "More importantly, who are you exactly? Why do we look alike and how were you able to use that attack earlier? I want some answers and I don't think I have the patience to wait for them."

Minervamon giggled. "Easy~! The reason why we're so similar and why I can't go into tantrum mode is because you exist!" This caused even more confusion among them as they couldn't exactly decipher what that could mean. And it was obvious that they were looking for her to clarify and for the first time since they met her, she became serious. "What I mean is… Several millennia ago, I attempted to rid myself of my bad moods by becoming the transcendent form of Mervamon. But instead, I discarded my negative emotions and they manifested..." she pointed at Mervamon. "…into you."

"W-Wait… you mean?" Mervamon shook her head.

"You are a part of me," Minervamon swung her sword around and pointed it at Mervamon's throat. "And I've come to take you back."

MetalKabuterimon leaned in close to Kari and whispered into her ear. "Is she the enemy we're fighting now?"

-X-

 **Kouji and JP succeeded in taking down their foes, and in probably the best way possible though they seemed to have let their IceDevimon escape through the cracks. Nene just suffered the loss of one of her partners and might've lost more if Kari hadn't been there. But how will the General be able to deal with Minervamon popping in to take away Mervamon? But the biggest question is probably, what is happening with Rika? Hopefully, we'll find out in the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **I'll be on a plane in a few days again, going back to school. Ugh… I don't want to deal with real life yet! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and do not forget to leave a review for me down below, it'll probably make me feel better. Until next time! Wasshoi! Dang! I made another** ** _Super Sentai_** **reference! Though it doesn't necessarily have to be.**


	7. Fighting For Your Friends

**We are finally going to see what is happening on Rika's side of things! Woohoo! I've been keeping busy on my end as well as a little stressed but writing makes me feel better. So I won't keep you for long, I just want to thank everyone supporting this series and hope you enjoy!**

-X-

 **December 21: Frozen Palace 3rd Floor – 10:03 AM**

Davis wondered if this was how Yolei felt whenever he went charging headfirst into precarious situations without a plan. It wasn't like he couldn't understand how Ryo was feeling, if any of his own teammates had been abducted, he'd be pulling his hair out too. But if they acted too rash then worse things could happen to the hostage than they already have.

"Rika!" Ryo gasped.

Davis looked up at the older boy who had paused at the top of the steps. So he quickly went up the stairs two at a time to see the female Tamer standing in the middle of a massive ballroom with her back turned to them. She looked to be perfectly fine although there were some strange black stripes running along her arms and legs.

Ryo broke off into a run towards her before anyone could stop him. It was obviously a trap, no matter how one looked at it.

Rika turned around a second before Ryo had reached her. Once he was a foot in front of her face, he received a foot _to_ his face, causing him to fall onto his butt and slide across the frozen floor. Davis knelt down and stopped him from tumbling down the flight of stairs.

"IceDevimon! What have you done to my partner?" Renamon shouted into the room.

"Davis," said Veemon shakily.

His partner nodded. "I know."

Around Rika's neck was a glowing Dark Ring and the black stripes that had been on her limbs were actually Dark Spirals. This meant that she was under somebody's control. But who would've thought that those things could work on humans as well.

Just then, a chilling laughter reached their ears and the room temperature seemed to drop several degrees as a figure rose out of the floor and behind Rika, his wings wrapped around the girl like she was his possession. "I believe you have all met my wonderfully cold partner, Rika Nonaka."

"Bastard," Ryo glared. "Let go of Rika!"

"Oh, I'm afraid I can't do that," IceDevimon chuckled. "But maybe we can negotiate a trade."

"A trade?" Ryo frowned.

"You… your partner… and Veemon," IceDevimon clarified. It obviously didn't sound very appealing to them. "That is all that I require and I will gladly release Rika from the control of these wretched devices. What do you say?"

"I say you're out of your mind," Davis stated.

"We'll just have to take her back by force," Ryo agreed.

IceDevimon's unnerving smile never changed. "Funny… I was thinking of taking what I want by force as well." He placed one of his claws on top of his captive's head. The fallen angel then tilted the girl's head upward so that he could look into her eyes. "Would you be a dear and handle this, Rika?"

The boys figured that he would try to use Rika as his human shield, knowing that they wouldn't be willing to hurt her. So their plan was to get their partners to try and attack while Renamon goes to pluck Rika out of his grasp, making them home free to fight however they want. But it wasn't going to be that easy.

Rika pulled out her D-Power and a green card which she slid through it. For one mortifying moment, they thought that IceDevimon would merge with her which would've made their entire plan a bust. But instead, Renamon suddenly burst into data and reconfigured around her Tamer, becoming Sakuyamon except with Dark Spirals on the same areas as they were on Rika.

"Uh-oh," Veemon muttered.

"The floor is yours," IceDevimon chuckled.

Sakuyamon wasted no time. "Spirit Strike!"

"Digi-Modify! Matrix Digivolution Activate!" "Monodramon Matrix Digivolve to… Cyberdramon!"

"Golden Armor Energize!" "Veemon Golden Armor Digivolve to… Magnamon!"

Ryo quickly used a defensive card to protect them from them from Sakuyamon's attack. But as soon as the smoke from the blast cleared, she was suddenly there in front of them, using her staff as a melee weapon. The bio-merged Digimon wasn't even out to destroy the Digimon though, she was after the humans which kept their partners much more occupied than necessary.

"Sakuyamon! Stop this!" Ryo called out to her.

"We're your friends!" Davis added. "We're trying to save you!"

Of course she wasn't listening though. To make things worse, Rika from the inside was using her modify cards at breakneck speed, it was hard to tell what kind of upgrades she was giving herself at one time. She used a Doppelganger card to create a fake which occupied the Digimon before using a Hyper Speed card to get past them and behind the boys.

The teenagers ducked under when they swung their staves and they quickly rolled out of the way, thanking their athleticism for their reflexes. But they came to the realization that Rika had the right idea, instead of fighting the foe that was directly in front of them, they should target the one behind the scenes. If Ryo and Davis were taken out, their partners would lose most of their direction. The same should apply to IceDevimon who is controlling Sakuyamon via the Dark Spiral.

"Magnamon will keep her busy!" said Davis.

"Thanks," Ryo nodded. "Digi-Modify! Magical Game: Teleport Acti-!"

One of the two Sakuyamon quickly pulled out a sealing tag and threw it at Ryo's D-Power. "Fox Card!" It emitted a soft glow for a moment before vanishing. And to their surprise, the card did nothing for Cyberdramon whatsoever.

"Fox Card seals the power of her opponents," Cyberdramon growled, ducking under the doppelganger's high-heeled kick. "It must've sealed the power of the D-Power."

"You mean I can't use modify cards?!" Ryo blanched. "Man… Has Rika been holding back on me this entire time? Or was I always just lucky?"

Both Sakuyamon took to the air but before Magnamon or Cyberdramon could follow either one in flight, they both dropped down. One shot down like lightning from the sky while the other was coated in hot flames but they both landed heavy drop kicks on their enemies, sending them straight into the floor where they left deep cracks. "Thunder Kick!" "Flaming Fox!"

"The other thing about Sakuyamon is that she has a heck of a lot of moves," Magnamon groaned.

"We can't hold back just because she's our friend," Davis said. "Rika is more powerful than either one of us so our best course of action has to be knocking her out and then going after IceDevimon. If not, we're both screwed."

Ryo didn't fancy the idea of hurting his fellow Tamer but he knew that the former goggle-head was right in this case. Besides, Rika wouldn't have wanted to destroy them. If she could tell them her true thoughts at that moment, he was sure it would be something along the lines of "Don't be such a wuss, fight like a Tamer should!" Yeah, that was probably exactly what she'd say to him.

"You heard him Cyberdramon!" Ryo called out.

"Got it!" Cyberdramon growled. "Desolation Claw!"

"Sorry about this, Sakuyamon!" Magnamon nodded. "Magna Blast!"

The two used their signature attacks, known for demolishing mountains, at the twin Sakuyamon. The problem was, they were facing two of them who crossed their staffs and used their Crystal Barrier move which created a spherical field, twice its normal power, which shielded her perfectly.

"How can she have double the power from before?" Davis inquired.

"She doesn't," Ryo answered. "It's a risky move on her part but when you create a doppelganger using that card, your power is actually halved. But Sakuyamon is using twice the amount of energy as normal to compensate for it. The only good thing about that is that when she combines back into one, she'll have used up a ton of her energy."

As Ryo said, once the Doppelganger card wore off, Sakuyamon was breathing heavily and looking worse for wear. But before the boys could try to attack her again, Rika used her Meditate card which rejuvenated Sakuyamon, much to their dismay.

"Right… She can still use modify cards when you can't," Davis murmured.

"Which means she's not only at the Royal Knight level but she can give herself a variety of upgrades…," Ryo added.

"And since she is the former Digimon Queen, she knows…"

"About a million advanced tactics and combinations."

"..."

"..."

"We are so screwed."

Sakuyamon raised her staff and shot out a massive flaming fox. "Fox Drive!"

If the attack made contact with them, they were guaranteed to take damage and possibly even deletion in Cyberdramon's case. So Magnamon quickly got in front of him and used his Aura Barrier attack to protect them from the hot flames.

"We'll have to go back to our original plan," Davis stated as he tried to keep himself from being blinded by the bright lights reflecting off the ice. "Magnamon will keep her busy while Cyberdramon takes a head-on assault against IceDevimon."

"She's too strong. She can easily prevent Cyberdramon from getting past her," Ryo argued.

Davis bit his lower lip. He had been hoping that it wouldn't come to this but they didn't have much of a choice at the moment. "Magnamon can easily balance things out if he uses his strongest attack. Hopefully, Sakuyamon will use her Crystal Barrier to protect herself and in that moment, Cyberdramon confronts IceDevimon."

It did sound rather risky. If Sakuyamon chose not to protect herself and instead, protect her master, she would end up taking the hit at full force. But Rika was smart and Renamon was even smarter, so they would probably use the Crystal Barrier to their benefit. Well, that was the belief anyway.

"Go for it," Ryo nodded.

Davis had to say, it felt kind of good being the tactician for once. He always followed everyone else's plans or charged in head first. Formulating an actual strategy felt like a good experience. Though at the same time, he really wanted to bust his way past Rika and take on IceDevimon himself.

"Magnamon, use _that_!" Davis shouted.

Magnamon brushed himself off now that Sakuyamon's attack was done trying to roast him. " _That_? Are you sure?" He didn't wait for a response as Sakuyamon suddenly gained a ton of speed and was approaching them with the intent of stabbing with the end of her staff. But from his peripheral vision, he saw his partner nod. "Here goes! Shining Gold Solar Storm!"

The entire room was suddenly enveloped in an intense golden light though they could hear what sounded to be hundreds of missiles launching themselves out at the same target, meaning Sakuyamon. Despite the whistling of the artillery, they could hear the magic-user cast her Crystal Barrier attack which protected her while Cyberdramon zipped past and straight towards IceDevimon.

"Desolation-!"

"Too slow!"

When the light faded away, they could see that Cyberdramon was in the pose he normally would be in right before unleashing his signature attack but he was encased in ice. To make things worse, Sakuyamon had only suffered minimal damage and she still had alarming speed which allowed her to get right in front of Maganamon. She roundhouse kicked him across the face before using the momentum to get her staff pointed at his chest for a point blank Spirit Strike.

"Magnamon!" Davis called out as he returned to being Veemon.

"Whoever said women were weak has never faced Sakuyamon…," Veemon groaned.

Davis tried to grab his partner but Sakuyamon used a western lariat against his throat, causing him to fall over while she scooped up the bipedal dragon in her arms. Ryo tried to help out his own partner when IceDevimon froze the boy so that he couldn't move any part of his body.

"C-C-Cyb-b-b-berdram-m-mon," Ryo shivered.

IceDevimon laughed as a portal opened up behind him, leading to who knows where. The fallen angel slid the ice sculpture of Cyberdramon through the hole in the air before picking up Ryo by the arm. Sakuyamon soon followed behind him with the blue Rookie still in her grasp.

"Wait!" Davis coughed. "Let them go!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that," IceDevimon grinned.

Davis grinded his teeth in anger but then his eyes were drawn over to Sakuyamon, he noticed that her eyes suddenly changed from dull to full of life. Not only that, but she started shaking her head ever so slightly like she was in a dream and she was just waking up. Did that mean she was no longer under the influence of the Dark Spiral?

"Save Ryo!" Davis called out impulsively.

Sakuyamon's eyes snapped open wide as she threw Veemon towards his partner and then tried to land a spin kick on IceDevimon. But the frozen demon quickly erected an ice shield between himself and the bio-merged Digimon, barely protecting himself as evident by the crack Sakuyamon's heel made.

IceDevimon frowned. "Tch, those useless buffoons couldn't even protect the Control Spire they were so proud of. No matter, I suppose two out of three targets is good enough." With that, he walked right through the portal.

"Come back!" Sakuyamon yelled. But the gate had already closed. "...What… have I done?"

Davis rubbed his aching throat as he helped Veemon to his feet. He watched Sakuyamon turn back to Renamon and Rika, both looking rather lost with themselves which shouldn't have been a surprise. Still though, he had to wonder why IceDevimon left Rika behind when he wanted her to be his Tamer. And why didn't he just go for Ryo and Monodramon in the first place rather than kidnapping Rika as a middleman? There was clearly more to this story than he had yet to hear but at the moment, they needed to get out of there.

"Rika, can you stand?" he called out.

The Tamer responded with a tiny nod before getting helped up by her partner. However, she fell back down to the floor when the entire palace started quaking. They heard what sounded to be an echoing beeping sound, similar to that belonging to bombs in action movies. To bombs?!

Everyone from the lower floors had already evacuated through the hole that Minervamon had made earlier since the beeping had started a while ago. They had been silently praying for the others to get out of there in time but those hopes were blown away along with the castle in an ear-shattering explosion.

"No…," Kari whispered before falling to her knees.

"Damn it!" Kouji shouted into the air in frustration.

"Wait, look!" JP called out, pointing at something in the air.

They all turned to watch Sakuyamon, Davis, and Veemon float down from inside the Mega Digimon's Crystal Barrier. The group would've cheered for their safe return if they hadn't noticed a different Tamer missing this time around.

"What happened to Ryo?" Kari asked when they landed.

"...He was taken by IceDevimon," Rika replied. "And it's all my fault." Before Kari could ask anything more, the redhead noticed Nene praying in front of a small memorial that she had made. "What happened to Nene?"

"It's… a long story," said Kari.

Their reunion did get one Tamer bigger when Kenta showed up with a Gomamon in his arms and a Cherrymon by his side. After he was filled in about what was happening, he told them about what he had learned and the fact that he had been the one to destroy the Control Spire. Now that they knew that the Dark Spirals could even control humans and several could even control Mega Digimon, they had to be more careful than ever.

 **December 21: Tokyo Bay - 10:20 AM**

Strangely enough, unlike the army that attacked Sapporo, there was barely any damage done to the city at large. The fishermen and other workers along the docks were only stuck in a trance and chanting some sort of catchy jig. If it hadn't been for the frequency that Izzy let out of his laptop, the civilians might've been in some real danger.

"Hurry, get out of here!" Joe and Izzy instructed the citizens.

Zenjirou and Thomas made it to the frontlines where the giant pirate ship was waiting for them, flags raised. From the deck, Olegmon and his crew, which consisted of one Mermaimon, a couple of Depthmon, MarineDevimon, and Scorpiomon were moving around from one side to the other with big open-mouthed smiles on their faces. The ones that could, held up wooden beer mugs, each one appropriate for their sizes, as they sang and danced.

"Two of my archenemies times several?" Zudomon groaned. "This doesn't look very good."

"Remember what Ballistamon said though," MegaKabuterimon said as he landed on the ground. "We might not need to fight this particularly army if Ballistamon can get through to him. Fighting is only our last resort here."

Despite what the giant beetle had said, there was still doubt laced in his tone. After all, convincing one of their enemies not to give them trouble would be far too convenient and much too easy. A match between these pirates and the Chosen Children was brewing and only time could tell who the victor would be.

"Olegmon! Stop this madness!" Ballistamon called out.

Olegmon, the large golden pirate captain of the crew, slowly turned around and glared at the robot to show his distaste for having his chant interrupted. "Who are to tell me, leader of the Kinzoku Kaizoku, what to do?! Do you have a death wish? Is that it?"

"The Kinzoku Kaizoku?" Zenjirou repeated. "So… The Metal Pirates?"

"I think it's supposed to be translated as the Gold Tribe Pirates," Thomas corrected.

Ballistamon ignored all that in the background in favor of focusing on Olegmon who was looking rather menacing, especially with his scary-looking lackeys glaring down at him as well. But the thing was, why was the captain of the pirate crew acting like this when he had defected to the Xros Heart Army the last time they had met. Just what had those Demon Lords done to him to make him behave in such an atrocious manner?

"Don't you remember me?" Ballistamon asked. "You made me from scratch and I became your friend."

"Made _you_? You got the wrong gold-thief pirate, bud," Olegmon scoffed. "I've only ever built one machine in my life and his name is DarkVolumon so don't try to fool me with something that is so obviously a lie. It's not even clever."

"But I am – _was_ – DarkVolumon!" Ballistamon objected.

Mermaimon suddenly took the reins here. "Don't flatter yourself. Not just any old machine can call himself a creation of the great and mighty Olegmon though I understand why you're trying. If you want to join our crew, just say it! Maybe Olegmon will feel generous or pity you."

"No!" Ballistamon snapped. "I don't want to join your crew! Olegmon, you're an ally of the Xros Heart Army! You're a friend of Taiki Kudo! How can you forget about all of that? What did the Demon Lords do to you?"

"The Demon Lords?" Olegmon frowned. "Those guys are ancient history. It's all about Lord Apocalymon now, kid."

Izzy and Joe tensed up when they heard the name of their final enemy from seven years ago. But then they remembered that he hadn't only been their enemy but the foe of the very first DigiDestined, before even them. And according to the stories they had heard, Apocalymon was capable of enslaving Digimon using the Dark Chain. So could that mean?

"Olegmon! Please snap out of it!" Ballistamon pleaded.

"I've had enough of this pointless drivel," Olegmon snarled, his scowl getting deeper. "DarkVolumon, destroy him!"

"DarkVolumon?!" the others gasped.

From behind Olegmon, a machine that looked a little similar to Ballistamon jumped high into air, the only difference being that he didn't look as friendly and he looked much more like a weapon of mass destruction. "Ultimate Speaker!"

Everyone tried to get out of the way as a sound wave pulsed through the air, destroying nearly everything that got caught up in the range. Lucky for them, MirageGaogamon was fast enough to pick them all up and carry them out of harm's way.

"Did he… make another one?" Ballistamon croaked out. "Another version of me?"

Izzy shook his head. "Somehow, I doubt it. Olegmon's memories should be the same as they were before so if he had built another one, then in his memory, he would've built two in total. My guess is that DarkVolumon was manufactured by someone else entirely. Possibly Apocalymon since Mr. Mizuno did tell us that he could create his own Digimon and weaponry."

"He'll pay," Ballistamon droned, clenching his hands into fists.

Zenjirou had never seen his partner like this before, so full of rage and the determination to strike down a foe he had never even met. But that must've meant that Olegmon was someone important to Ballistamon, there couldn't be much of another explanation.

"Don't worry… We can take care of this," Zenjirou nodded. "And we'll definitely get your friend back."

"But our first priority is to break through his line of defense," Thomas reminded them. They looked down to see that Olegmon's army was fortifying themselves in a way to keep them from attacking their general from any angle. "We need to retreat and strategize."

"My question is, if Olegmon really is being control by a Dark Chain, why don't we see it anywhere on him?" Izzy inquired. "From everything the Monster Makers have told me, the Dark Chain is practically a living thing, finding victims and enslaving them. However, from what I can tell, each of Olegmon's subordinates and himself included, do not have a Dark Chain."

"What about Olegmon's chant?" asked Joe.

"My frequency should've cancelled it out," Izzy stated.

"But what if they've been exposed to it for such a long time that they simply follow Olegmon's orders?" Joe continued. "By that logic, the only Digimon that needs to be controlled is Olegmon. So if we find the Dark Chain on him, destroy it, we should be able to liberate them all."

"That does make sense," Thomas concurred. "So for now, we should keep his troops occupied."

Izzy nodded in agreement. "Zenjirou, we'll make an opening for you guys to take on Olegmon."

"Wait!" Ballistamon interjected. Everyone paused as they looked over to the robot Digimon. "I appreciate what you are all trying to do for me but our worlds are at stake here. If it turns out that there isn't a Dark Chain on Olegmon, Zenjirou will get hurt and furthermore, I'm not strong enough to defeat Olegmon by myself, even with a Xros. So I think it would be better if I were to take on DarkVolumon."

"Are you sure?" Zenjirou asked. "Olegmon is your friend…"

"He wouldn't want to destroy the world he once protected."

Zenjirou was about to say that he understood where his partner was coming from when all the three older and more experienced Chosen Children reached over and smacked the back of Ballistamon's head. It didn't really hurt the android but it did leave him and his partner looking rather puzzled.

"When did we say we were making up this plan for your sake?" Thomas grinned.

"Olegmon's army consists of a ton of Ultimates," Izzy added. "It'd take all three of our partners just to keep them occupied."

"Therefore, the best course of action is for us to take on the army while you go for the leader since you've had experience in fighting this very same enemy once before," Joe finished. "We're just looking out for the city, not your friendships."

"Wow, Joe, when did you start saying cool things like that?" Zudomon smirked.

The shelled walrus was being hoisted into the air by MegaKabuterimon who was actually having trouble trying to remain airborne while holding onto the heavy sea mammal. If they weren't such good friends, the beetle would've let go a while ago though he was very tempted to do that even now.

"This isn't the time to poke fun at me," Joe sighed.

"I won't," Zudomon chuckled before weighing them in with his thoughts. "But listen, I have a better idea for how we can beat these guys."

Down below, Olegmon was wishing that he had someone in his army who could take flight because he had no idea how he was supposed to attack his enemies in the sky. Everyone in his crew, himself included, simply watched and waited for something to happen when they noticed something strange. One of the figures from above was getting larger and larger so that meant it was getting closer… right? But whatever or whoever it was, it was rapidly accelerating in its drop by the second.

"Abandon ship!" Olegmon ordered as Zudomon cannonballed right into the boat, shell first, destroying it and sending everyone onto dry land. Unfortunately, for Mermaimon and the Depthmon, this was where they lost their fighting advantage, giving even the singular MegaKabuterimon the ability to keep the entire group occupied.

MirageGaogamon shot back down to the floor at top speed, dropping off his passengers before gathering up the remaining lackeys into a group so he could keep them busy. This included the Scorpiomon, the MarineDevimon, and DarkVolumon.

"Leave it up to my partner to come with the most outrageous ideas," Joe sighed.

"Well, it worked out pretty well, if you ask me" Zenjirou chuckled.

Zudomon grabbed onto Olegmon's leg and yanked the pirate into the ocean where the sea mammal had the advantage while Ballistamon ran to the end of one dock before diving in. Joe was right, what Zudomon had done was unbelievably ludicrous and if he hadn't landed in the water, he would've incapacitated himself for the rest of the battle. But since it did work, no use in complaining.

"Execute the next part of the plan," Thomas instructed Zenjirou.

The teenager nodded before raising his teal X-Loader. "Ballistamon! Zudomon! Digi-Xros!"

Ordinarily, a heavyweight Digimon like Ballistamon would sink to the bottom of the ocean if he tried to take a swim, but given Zudomon's ability to breathe and maneuver underwater, he could've competed in the summer Olympics for swimming. As for his physical appearance, not much had changed besides his size which grew to Olegmon's equal as well as the addition of Zudomon's hard shell and giant hammer.

"Vulcan's Hammer!"

Olegmon crossed his arms over his chest to block the hit but it didn't absorb much as he was pushed back and crashed into one of the docks. With a deep scowl in reaction to the whack, he drew out his twin tomahawks.

"I'm no land lubber, I can take you on in the sea if that's how you want to tango!" Olegmon snarled.

The pirate attempted to cut down the fused Digimon but every time he used one tomahawk to repel the hammer and tried to cleave with the other, he was blown back by Ballistamon's Heavy Speaker attack. It made it nearly impossible for Olegmon to get close enough to launch a counterattack.

"Do you see a Dark Chain on him?" Zenjirou called out.

"I don't!" Ballistamon stated. "I think we might have no choice but to destroy him!"

"Destroy me?!" Olegmon growled. He really didn't like them talking about his deletion as if he was someone weak enough to be destroyed so easily. "Don't act all high and mighty just because you got yourself a fancy new upgrade! I'll show you! Besides, I already know your weakness."

"Our weakness?" Ballistamon frowned.

Olegmon raised his arms out of the water and suddenly, dark humanoid beings started crawling out from the depths and attacking the humans. Ballistamon would've jumped out of the sea to protect them if a few more of those shadowy enigmas hadn't started grabbing him and pulling him back down. To make things worse, the humans couldn't seem to touch them.

Zenjirou picked up an abandoned fishing rod and tried to use it as a sword but no matter how hard he swung, it just passed right through the creatures. Thomas's punches could do nothing at all but they were still able to grab onto the boys and tighten their grips around their throats, making it difficult for them to breathe.

"It's like they're incorporeal!" Izzy struggled.

"Then how do we defeat them?!" Joe choked out.

Suddenly, they heard what sounded to be gunshots, not that they had any idea what those sounded like in real life. But one by one, each of those creatures had their blank white masks shattered and they seemed to melt into the docks. The humans and Ballistamon were freed but they had no idea who their savior was.

"Who are you?!" Olegmon gaped, staring off in another direction.

The others followed his gaze over to a figure standing at the top of a building with a smoking pistol in hand. Everything about his clothing choices screamed pirate, including the dark gray long coat that flapped in the cold sea breeze. He also wore a sash that had metallic balls clipped on it and upon closer examination, the humans let out a gasp.

"Mr. Jones?!" they stared.

"Please," the Monster Maker chuckled. "Call me Captain Babel."

The man who looked to be in his early twenties all of a sudden, jumped down from the building's roof, landing on top of a large metal crate before pointing and shooting down several more of those shadowy creatures coming to get him. When he was finally on ground level, he detached the sash from his torso and swung it around like a whip, having it knock away oncoming foes. At some point, he plucked one of the balls off of it and threw the sash over his neck. He pitched the orb like he was in a baseball game and then shot a bullet, it hit the ball which exploded, sending shrapnel at a large group of those unidentifiable monsters.

"How are you doing that?" Izzy stared.

"It's so cool!" Zenjirou nodded excitedly, stars in his eyes.

"Those are Voidlings," Babel explained. "The only way to destroy them is through your DigiSoul. Simply put, I'm infusing my DigiSoul into my bullets and my miniature cannonballs. Case in point, Thomas, I believe you know what to do now."

Thomas enveloped his body in his blue DigiSoul before punching out one of the Voidlings. "I see now, thank you, Babel."

"That's _Captain_ Babel to you," Babel corrected with a grin before turning over to Ballistamon. "The floor is yours now. Oh, and one more thing, the Dark Chains don't work on partnered Digimon so if Olegmon happens to get Hunted…"

"He'll turn back to normal!" Zenjirou and Ballistamon gasped.

"Now you've got the idea!" Babel laughed.

Joe and Izzy watched as Thomas took out Voidlings while Zenjirou excitedly sent out orders at his partner to follow. The one thing they couldn't understand was Babel's sudden return to youth or where the Voidlings came from. But most of all, the biggest question circulating around their heads, was concerning Babel Jones. Was the middle-aged, genius programmer always this childish?

"Don't just stand around, head to safety," Babel told those two.

"Uh, just one question," said Izzy. "Where did these creatures come from?"

Babel kicked a Voidling trying to come at them from behind. He then bent the creature over and used its back to keep his aim balanced as he opened fire on its comrades. "They grow on negative emotions like sadness, anger, and fear. The recent incidents involving Armageddemon and the Dark Generals has humanity on edge and many of them angry at Digimon. The more scared they are of Digimon, the angrier they are at Digimon, and the sadder they are because they lost someone to Digimon, the more Voidlings will be produced."

"So what about everyone in the Digital World?" Joe inquired. After all, the kids they sent probably have no clue what the Voidlings are so if those creatures showed up to face them, those Chosen Children would be in danger.

"They should be fine," said Babel before kicking his balancing board away and shooting it in the head. "According to Gennai, most Digimon have high hopes in the United Xros Heart Army who protect them so they aren't too afraid. Especially since so many of them grew up on the legends of the DigiDestined." His tone suddenly became solemn. "They feel like they can depend on you guys."

"They can depend on you guys too!" Izzy added.

"Nope," Babel chuckled. "No one remembers our stories. Not unless they were reborn with their memories of us."

Back in the water, Ballistamon was trying to fight a progressively angry Olegmon who was frustrated by the fact that the Voidlings were destroyed so easily. However, his focus had to be on the fight which he was soon realizing that he wouldn't be able to win if they continued their match in the water.

"DarkVolumon! Enhanced Armor Mode!" Olegmon ordered.

Abruptly, DarkVolumon broke apart into several individual parts, slipping their way past MirageGaogamon and becoming part of Olegmon. The pirate suddenly took on a more mechanical look, reminding them all of a dangerous cyborg Digimon.

"He can fuse too?!" Zenjirou gasped.

"Viking Vuffet!"

He sliced with his Tomahawks vertically at a speed that was only possible through the combination with DarkVolumon. Ballistamon turned around and used his shell as a shield but despite the hardness of it, he still felt massive pain cutting into him. It was actually leaving deep gashes in the shell. And Olegmon didn't stop until Ballistamon broke apart into his two separate components.

"Gomamon!" Joe gasped when he saw his partner.

Zenjirou didn't take any time to think as he quickly tried another Xros. "Ballistamon! Gigadramon! Digi-Xros!"

Ballistamon gained mechanical wings and his arms became similar to that of Gigadramon's so he quickly flew out of the ocean with the injured Gomamon in his arms. After dropping off the little guy in Joe's hands, he turned to face his foe who was climbing out of the water.

"Genocide Breaker!"

Countless organic missiles fired out from Ballistamon's claws and right for Olegmon who seemed more than prepared to counter such a move.

"Olegmon Speaker!" The Dark General released a sound wave from his chest that was strong enough and had a wide enough range to block all the missiles from harming him. Everyone aside from his allies and the Voidlings were forced to cover the ears as the sound of his hypnotizing chant reached their ears. It also seemed to skyrocket the morale of his crew as they started launching a heavier counterattack on the Digimon obstructing them from helping their captain.

"I can't hold them back for much longer!" MegaKabuterimon grunted.

"We have no choice but to destroy them!" MirageGaogamon added. "Try to push them over to my side."

MegaKabuterimon did as he was told as he used his Horn Buster attack to lead the Depthmon and Mermaimon over towards their crewmates. Once they were stuck together in one giant cluster, MirageGaogamon readied his signature attack. "Final Mirage Burst!" In a massive explosion, Olegmon's crew was diminished down to one member, himself.

"Mermaimon! Everyone!" Olegmon shouted, stopping his Speaker attack. The pirate stumbled forward before bellowing to show his rage. Somehow, it was louder and much more inhumane than his attack as the chests on his shoulders opened up, revealing some ghost-like figures. "Surtr! Jormungandr!"

Thomas and Izzy recognized those names from Norse mythology as they watched them wrap around their partners. Olegmon then leapt forward with his tomahawks in the air, cleaving MegaKabuterimon and MirageGaogamon clean down their middles. They were reverted back to their Rookie forms before they could even blink.

"Gaomon!" Thomas shouted.

"Tentomon!" Izzy called out.

Olegmon landed on the ground, right over the miniscule Digimon. He raised his tomahawks and he would've destroyed them too if Ballistamon hadn't flown down and took the attacks for himself. The robotic Digimon yelled out in pain when he felt the weapons digging into his shoulders but he mustered up all of his strength to push Olegmon as far away as possible from his fallen comrades.

Izzy and Joe quickly went over to pick them up since Thomas was a little preoccupied at the moment. But it was then that they realized it might've been a mistake to destroy Olegmon's team because after he had pushed Ballistamon away from him, he started destroying buildings and the docks with his speaker and his weapons.

"He's finally starting to act like a villain," Joe whispered. "But only after we deleted his friends."

"I've never actually seen a bad guy act this way for his underlings," Izzy added.

Ballistamon was injured and Zenjirou quickly ran over to check on his partner. "That's because he's not a villain!" Zenjirou snapped at them. "He was once Ballistamon's friend which means that he was one of our allies."

"Then why was he working for Bagramon in his past life?" Izzy asked.

Zenjirou didn't have an answer to that and as far as he knew, neither did Taiki. Maybe Olegmon was caught up in the wrong crowd of Digimon, after all, how could someone who only wanted loyal friends be a bad Digimon?

Babel left the remaining Voidlings up to Thomas as he joined the younger kids. "I don't care what kind of influences turned him this way, the guy is giving a bad name to pirates." The others paused to wonder if real-life pirates ever had a good name in the first place. "I'm going to have to make him walk the plank."

Babel moved forward with his firearm raised when Ballistamon grabbed the hem of his coat, keeping the man from going at the Dark General. The robot was clearly in no condition to fight and if he tried to, it was almost a guaranteed suicide. The same could've been said about Babel trying to take on Olegmon on his lonesome.

"…Wait," Ballistamon pleaded. "Please… Olegmon… He's not a bad Digimon. I'm sure… Zenjirou and I… we can Hunt him."

Babel pulled his leg out of Ballistamon's grasp. "I don't really care. In case you haven't noticed, that friend of yours is destroying the city. As a DigiDestined, it's my job to protect this world from Digimon like him. No excuses."

Ballistamon tried to argue with Babel who already shot a bullet at the back of Olegmon's head, getting the behemoth's attention. The two pirates stared each other down as Olegmon took a few steps closer, tomahawks raised.

"Who do you think you are?" Olegmon growled. "You're just a puny human against me."

"I'm Babel Jones, the Pirate of Responsibility," Babel answered coolly. "As a pirate, I make my own rules and follow them. Therefore, when something goes wrong or one of my crew members get hurt, I can only blame myself. So the same should go for you, why the hell are you taking revenge on the city when the person who failed your comrades, is yourself. That's why you're a disgrace to pirates."

A vein popped on Olegmon's head and it showed how much he didn't like Babel. "I will end you now!"

The bigger pirate swung his weapons down with the intention of cutting Babel down but they stopped short of his head. Zenjirou and the others were dumbstruck while Babel just smirked. The eldest human clapped Ballistamon's back as a sign of gratitude for protecting him.

"Olegmon," Babel said. "I want you to take a good look at the fire in this Digimon's eyes." Babel watched as Olegmon's pupils shifted over to Ballistamon and the little orbs that acted as his eyes, they shimmered and glowed like never before. "Do you recognize it? Well you should."

Before he could continue, Zenjirou stood up, not wanting this man to make his partner shine. He was no pirate but he liked hearing what Babel said. That as a pirate, one made his own rules and therefore, when something went wrong, he was the only one responsible for it. By that logic, for his partner, Zenjirou was responsible so he placed his hands on Ballistamon's shoulder and kept his partner steady as they resisted Olegmon's strength.

"Because Ballistamon was built by a great pirate who stuck by his own principles and never allowed anyone to tell him what to do!" Zenjirou shouted. "A pirate that any Digimon and even human would've been proud to call their call their captain and friend. But that pirate… isn't you! So come back to us as a friend!"

Olegmon's head was hurting. It made his body go numb. And inside him, he felt something. It felt like a cold-blooded snake, slithering around in his data stream, whispering something. It mixed with the words of the two humans in front of him and he wanted it all to be silent so that he could think. But they just kept talking and talking and talking and…

"Shut up!" Olegmon roared, letting out a sonic wave that pushed Babel, Zenjirou, and Ballistamon back. "Dual Tomahawk Boomerang!"

The weapons were sent flying at them and no matter how it looked, they believed they were about to lose their heads so they all squeezed their eyes shut. But then they heard a heavy clang, like the tomahawks crashed into something other than them. Thus, when they opened their eyes again, they saw the glowing crests of knowledge and reliability floating in front of the bodies of Izzy and Joe standing in front of them.

"We can't let you get all the glory," Gomamon smirked from Joe's shoulder.

"What are you talking about?" Joe chuckled breathlessly. "You're not doing anything."

"Are you and Joe okay?" Tentomon questioned.

"Doing this consumes gallons of our energy but we'll be fine if it means protecting our friends," Izzy huffed.

"Olegmon Speaker!"

The force of the sound wave blasted both Chosen Children back but their glowing crests were still there, protecting the grounded trio from those midair blades. Finally, the tomahawks slowed down enough to stop spinning and fall to the ground as the crests found a new home in Zenjirou's X-Loader, showing the symbol for alpha.

"What is…?" Zenjirou gasped.

"It looks like the belief you have in your partner and the belief we have in you, has opened up a brand new path," Babel chuckled.

Olegmon marched towards them, reaching down to pick up his tomahawks when Zenjirou pointed the screen of his X-Loader upwards which emitted a powerful teal glow that blinded Olegmon and enveloped Ballistamon.

"Ballistamon! Super Evolve!"

-X-

 **Since Rika is technically safe, I supposed we can mark her rescue mission as a success. But it was at the cost of both Ryo and Cyberdramon, will those two be okay? But how are things looking for Ballistamon and the gang? Will they be able to succeed in taking care of Olegmon with their new evolution or are they doomed to fail? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **I realize that there wasn't as much development for Zenjirou as there was for Akari but it was hard for me to come up with anything more than this. Hopefully I'll do him more justice in a later chapter. Also, I couldn't help making Babel as epic as possible because I love** ** _One Piece_** **and** ** _Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger_** **so much. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed and don't forget to leave a review! See you!**


	8. Shrouded in Darkness

**For those of you who have caught up with Children of the Past, you all know what the other Monster Makers are now. They are the characters of a JRPG, that's what they are. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this newest installment because I don't have much more to say except thank you to everyone who's been supporting me and this story.**

-X-

 **December 21: Tokyo Bay – 10:57 AM**

"Olegmon Speaker!"

The force of the sound wave blasted both Chosen Children back but their glowing crests were still there, protecting the grounded trio from those midair blades. Finally, the tomahawks slowed down enough to stop spinning and fall to the ground as the crests found a new home in Zenjirou's X-Loader, showing the symbol for alpha.

"What is…?" Zenjirou gasped.

"It looks like the belief you have in your partner and the belief we have in you, has opened up a brand new path," Babel chuckled.

Olegmon marched towards them, reaching down to pick up his tomahawks when Zenjirou pointed the screen of his X-Loader upwards which emitted a powerful teal glow that blinded Olegmon and enveloped Ballistamon.

"Ballistamon! Super Evolve!"

"Ballistamon Super Evolve to…" The robot visibly became larger as he towered over Zenjirou and was practically the same height as Olegmon. Three large metallic claw-like things protruded from his back as his limbs extended, giving him a much more humanoid form. From every nook and crevice in his body, he was brimming with electrical energy. "AtlurBallistamon!"

 **Digital Analyzer** : In this new form, AtlurBallistamon has assimilated electromagnetic armor into his thickened metallic body, allowing him to reduce damage with magnetism and attack using electrical discharges. Along with his kind personality, he stands as an impenetrable fortress between his foes and his comrades on the battlefield.

"Fascinating," Izzy remarked, looking at the holographic encyclopedia on Babel's D-Sync. "So this is where that modification on the Tamers' D-Powers came from. Truly astonishing. Captain Babel, you wouldn't mind if I studied your digivice, would you?"

"Shibumi and Janyu have already done all the studying they could," Babel chuckled.

"Is this really the time to talking about this?" Joe huffed.

Babel waved it off. "Ah, don't worry about it. AtlurBallistamon's totally got this, right Zenjirou?"

Zenjirou nodded to Babel with a confidence that hadn't been there before. He saw what experience had done for all the older Chosen Children though none of them could really be called children anymore. They had strong belief in their partners and even themselves. Even when Gomamon came up with that absurd strategy, Joe didn't exactly try very hard to talk his partner out of it.

"AtlurBallistamon will definitely win, I'm certain of it," Zenjirou told them.

Olegmon, angered by the fact that his opponent had just received another upgrade, picked up his weapons and started swinging. The two ghosts living in his shoulders exited his body and they each grabbed one of the tomahawks and flew upwards, causing AtlurBallistamon to keep two eyes in two places at once.

"Olegmon Speaker!"

AtlurBallistamon's arms extended and shot upwards, punching the guts of the ghosts before grabbing the massive tomahawks. He used the two weapons as a deflector to shield himself and his allies from the sound wave.

"Olegmon, in order to bring out your golden heart that beats for love and friendship, I will defeat you," AtlurBallistamon resolved.

"I will never let that happen!" Olegmon snarled. "Surtr! Jormungandr!"

The ghosts planned on using their special attacks to take AtlurBallistamon away, into another world but before they reached the robot, the partnered Digimon copied one of their master's attacks. He used his own version of the Dual Tomahawk Boomerang which involved effortlessly hurling the weapons right for the Dark General who tried to use his Olegmon Speaker attack to protect himself. But if he did, it would hurt his comrades as well.

"Captain!" Jormungandr gasped.

"Protect him!" Surtr added.

They both flew backwards and grabbed the tomahawks when they were inches away from lodging themselves into Olegmon's shoulders. But AtlurBallistamon wasn't done yet. "Rocket Bunker!" At blinding speed, the robot's arms extended and landed countless punches onto Olegmon's face and torso, causing the foe to fly backwards and hit the pavement.

"Olegmon, you no longer have the power to defeat me, please stop this nonsense!" AtlurBallistamon begged.

"Arg… You're wrong!" Olegmon shouted before touching his chest where DarkVolumon's armor was. He pushed himself up as he retrieved his weapons and asked the ghosts to go back into his shoulder chests. "So long as I have my comrades by my side, I won't lose. Not to you! Not to anyone! Dual Tomahawk Boomerang!"

AtlurBallistamon stood completely still, causing everyone behind him to watch with their hearts beating in their throats. Well, aside from Babel who was still watching with a smile and Zenjirou who seemed to know exactly what his partner was going to do to avoid getting sliced open.

It happened in slow motion, the tomahawks were an inch away from tearing into AtlurBallistamon's shoulders, an inch away from amputating his arms, when they seemed to stop in midair. The Digimon wasn't doing anything though, or at least, it didn't look like it. But it occurred to Thomas and Izzy that AtlurBallistamon used magnetism to repel the weapons because the next thing to happen was the spectacle of the tomahawks spinning in reverse.

Olegmon's eyes widened into saucers as he sidestepped his own weapons and watched them lodge themselves into the side of a building, too far away for him to retrieve them before getting hit. So instead, he decided to use his rage for a different attack. "Olegmon Speaker!"

AtlurBallistamon was one step ahead though. While Olegmon was busy dodging his own weapons, the robot had extended his arms to the point where they were right underneath the pirate. He latched onto the General's ankles right before he launched his sound wave attack and swept his legs out from under him, causing him to fall on his back before releasing his attack, making him sink into the cement.

"Unbelievable," Thomas said in awe.

"Not only did his power increase, but so did his strategizing and skill-level," Izzy nodded.

"But I guess that's a given when it comes to robot Digimon," Joe muttered.

Olegmon, immobile in the dent he had created, was positively fuming. "I am… actually… losing. I'm losing to a twerp? The person, whose friends, destroyed my own. How can this… happen to me? Shouldn't my side always prevail?"

Babel opened up his mouth to lecture when Zenjirou did it for him. "If you're a pirate, then take responsibility for your own actions!"

The Monster Maker chuckled before rubbing the boy's head. "Someone's a fast learner," he remarked. "Now, why don't we finish things up?"

"You heard the man, AtlurBallistamon!" Zenjirou called out. "Let's Hunt him!"

From his main horn, AtlurBallistamon charged up a massive ball of electrical energy which seemed to make the very air crackle. It was unlike any power they had ever witnessed and the more energy he stored up, the more nervous his own allies were becoming.

Izzy checked his laptop for information and realized something. Supposedly, the finishing move that AtlurBallistamon was about to use, rivaled the power of Susanoomon's own Heaven's Thunder attack. And from what he had heard from the Legendary Warriors, this was the only other Digimon in existence to rival the power of a Demon Lord.

"Don't use that attack!" the redhead shouted but it was too late.

"Plasma Crack!"

Olegmon burst into data particles before coming back together on Zenjirou's screen but everyone watched as the ball of lightning demolished an entire building and left a crater about forty meters in diameter and ten meters in depth. And from what they could tell, AtlurBallistamon wasn't even at full strength yet.

"Digimon… capture complete…," Zenjirou murmured.

Thomas sighed, pressing his palm to his forehead. "This is bad. No matter how you look at this incident, the public is going to be outraged and pin the blame on Digimon as a whole. Hopefully, we'll be able to spin the 'no one was hurt' angle on this one."

"I just got a call from Daisy," said Babel, despite the fact that he didn't have his phone out, or any communication device at all for that matter. "It seems like Sapporo is practically in ruins. It looks like the Digimon are just digging a hole for themselves at this rate."

What could they do about it though?

AtlurBallistamon returned to his original form but he collapsed, causing his partner to fret over him. "Sorry, it was my fault," the machine creaked. "I don't know my own strengths yet and thought I needed more energy."

"It's okay," Zenjirou told him. "You need your rest, go back into the X-Loader and talk to Olegmon for a bit. I'm sure he's going to need a friend with him."

The group got together on the dock, overlooking the sea while Babel disappeared before their eyes. He told them that everything would be explained when they returned to Hypnos. As for right now, they were just trying to figure out how to deal with this chaos.

"Mermaimon and the others didn't return to being eggs," Gaomon remarked.

"So does that mean… we really deleted them for good?" Tentomon said.

"My army was ninety-nine percent fake," Olegmon suddenly said from inside the X-Loader. "Most of them were reborn and living peaceful lives, like I was. But then I was deleted by a revived Gravimon and reborn with a Dark Chain virus inside of me. If it hadn't been for you, Zenjirou, I would've done worse things."

"What do you mean by they were fake?" asked Izzy.

"They were made from large black towers; I don't remember the name…"

Gomamon looked up at Joe. "You don't think…"

"Control Spires, it's the only logical explanation," Izzy sighed. "But that means that Arukenimon has been revived as well. Given the chance, they could probably have her manufacture hundreds of Mega level Digimon like BlackWarGreymon which would mean bad news for us."

"Uh-oh, what if she creates a Demon Lord replica?" Tentomon shuddered.

"I doubt it," said Izzy. "She couldn't control BlackWarGreymon at all, so the likelihood that they would run the risk of her creating a Digimon as strong as a Demon Lord would be a dangerous bet. It could easily turn on them and I'm sure they wouldn't want that."

"Plus, it'd probably take her entire mop of a head!" Gomamon added.

The others started laughing with that comment with Zenjirou watching them. He knew that the joke was made to calm them down from the battle and from whatever was happening to their friends in the Digital World. But all Zenjirou could think about was how bad it was to be behind everyone. Not in terms of strength, but in terms of his bond with Ballistamon and the others.

Everyone already seems to have gained an understanding of each other. Whether they've known each other for more than a year or less. Yet Zenjirou wasn't exactly like that. Not even Ballistamon. Sure, he did maintenance on his partner and they ate together but Zenjirou felt some distance between them, unlike when it came to Taiki and Ballistamon. It was easy to figure out why though. Zenjirou talked big on justice but for a long while, fighting Digimon was almost like a competition to catch up to Taiki and Kiriha.

But not anymore. From now on, he was going to follow through on big words.

"Hey, Ballistamon," he said.

"Yeah?" came the reply.

"When this is all over, you want to go ice skating, like you wanted?"

"Really?"

"Yeah. It'll be fun."

"With you, I'm sure it will be!"

 **December 21: Flame Terminal - 9:36 AM**

Kazemon bit her lower lip as she tried to maintain her umbrella made of wind whilst flying towards the sound of her nemesis's laughter. It was multi-tasking with three things on her plate, the umbrella, the flying, and the trying not to rip her eardrums out. She'll have to be honest, the last part was the most difficult task to perform.

She finally made it to the place where the laugh was coming from but she couldn't find the owner of it anywhere. That is, until she spotted a small black box on top of one of the roofs. She landed with a light tap before picking it up.

"A recorder?" Kazemon muttered to herself.

A geyser of water shot out from her right and Kazemon quickly one-hand cartwheeled out of the way of the blast. The fairy expected to see Ranamon standing there but then more geysers started blasting out at her from other directions.

Ranamon cackled. "Try to keep up, windbag!"

Kazemon tried to move around as much as she could and unfortunately for the Warrior of Water, Kazemon had excellent hearing. Once Ranamon had said that one statement, the Warrior of Wind had her exact location. Now the problem was closing the gap between them.

"Tempest Twist!"

Kazemon got onto her hands and started spinning extremely fast, creating a miniature twister that repelled all the water from coming at her. When the tornado stopped spinning, Kazemon was nowhere in sight. Ranamon peeked out from the streets to check too.

"Eh?" Ranamon blinked. "Wh-Where did she go?"

"Up here!" Kazemon shouted before drop kicking Ranamon in the back. The flying warrior took to the skies once more but she didn't have to create the umbrella over her head because the kick had apparently made the rainmaker lose concentration. "Someone's been slacking off."

Ranamon quickly pushed herself back to her feet as she glared at her airborne opponent. "Not only did you leave your nasty boot print on my beautiful visage and break my nail, but you have the audacity to insult me? I will make sure you pay for that humiliation!"

"Honey, you're the one providing this material," Kazemon struck back.

"Why you lousy!" Ranamon snapped. "Whipping Waves!"

"Hurricane Wave!" Kazemon split the manipulated water right down the middle, giving her easy access to Ranamon. "Love Tap!" With a slight bump to Ranamon's torso with Kazemon's buttocks, the Warrior of Water was left stunned and dreamy.

"Kazemon! You beautiful thing, you! Would you mind if I baked you some cookies?" Ranamon asked in her love-induced trance.

Kazemon giggled at the sight of her nemesis talking that way but she didn't want to waste her opening to strike Ranamon hard. So with a little twist of her hips, she kicked Ranamon under her chin and sent her foe flying into the air. But her assault wasn't complete as the wind around her began circulating her body. "Hurricane Wave!"

"Ah! Ooh! Ow!" Ranamon shouted as she tumbled through the air and crashed through the roof of a hovel.

Bokomon and Neemon had left the mansion when the rain had stopped, determined to check up on their old friend. To be completely honest, they expected her to have some trouble while fighting against Ranamon but it seemed as though their worries were completely unfounded. Not only had the Warrior of Wind gotten stronger over the years but she had beaten her enemy without taking so much as one single acidic drop on her pretty little head.

"Ready to surrender?" Kazemon inquired sweetly.

"Never sweetheart!" came the reply. "Slide Evolution! Calmaramon!" As the Warrior grew in size, the structure she was in exploded, being incapable of holding her inside. Thus, once again, she had blessed onlookers with the unique sight that is the hideous squid.

"This is a good way to get on a no seafood diet," Kazemon stated. "Hurricane–!"

"Zoey, stop!" Bokomon shouted.

Kazemon froze up when she heard her human name being called. For a moment, she couldn't understand why her friend didn't want her to fight. But then she heard it, tear drops falling to the ground and when she looked up, she could see a Pagumon in the arms of a Gazimon, both of whom were being held hostage in one Calmaramon's tentacles. They must've been the ones living in that house.

"Leave the civilians out of this!" Kazemon yelled.

"Oh? And miss the distraught look on your face?" Calamaramon cackled. "I don't think so! Now, if you don't want these two charming little fellows to get hurt, I suggest you plant your feet on the ground and return to being a blonde."

"Zoey, don't do it!" Neemon called out.

"Do you really think Calmaramon will leave those two alone even after you leave yourself defenseless?" Bokomon added.

Kazemon didn't listen to them as she landed on the ground. She also ignored the shouts of both her spirits, telling her that it was too risky, that it was too dangerous, that if she complied with Calmaramon's orders, she would just get needlessly hurt. But then Kazemon returned to being just Zoey.

"There… now let them go," Zoey stated.

"Oh, not yet sweetie," Calmaramon giggled. "Drop the D-Tector to the ground."

Zoey did as she was told, albeit with a heavy breath. She stood still as she stared into the eyes of her enemy but had to squeeze them shut when she felt a raindrop hit her pupil. It burned, it felt nothing like ordinary rainwater. And it got worse as she felt her entire body being pelted by acidic raindrops, burning into her skin. It was only raining on her, she could hear it. So she was glad that Bokomon, Neemon, and the hostages were safe from this torture.

"Anything else?" Zoey growled through grit teeth.

"It looks like your clothes are melting, honey," Calmaramon cooed. "Your birthday suit fits better on a girl like you anyway." The beast took a moment to think about what else she could do to make Zoey pay her back when the human girl didn't respond to her taunting. "I know! How about this? Acid Ink!"

Zoey, looking down, watched as a splatter of black ink landed in front of her toes, splattering onto the hem of her jeans and dissolving it, it burned her skin and she winced. Now, there was just a puddle of darkness in front of her and her heart leapt to her throat as she wondered what method of heinous torture Calmaramon had in store this time.

"Bow down to me, and be sure to have your head of pretty hair in that puddle," Calmaramon ordered.

"No…," Bokomon whispered. It was hard to watch.

"Warrior of Wind, please don't worry about us!" Gazimon shouted.

"Defeat this witch and save this world! Forget about us!" Pagumon added desperately.

Zoey tilted her head just a little bit to look into the eyes of determination in those young ones. She was one of the dozens that were brought to this world to save it, to protect it. If she died there, hope would fade away by a margin. But if she could not save those two, how could she hope to save a whole world of them?

"Zoey, don't do it!" Bokomon shouted as she got down on one knee. "Don't cast away your pride as a Warrior!"

"I'm not casting away anything!" Zoey snapped, causing everyone to stare at her in surprise. But then Zoey looked up, glaring at Calmaramon. "It's Calmaramon who's casted away her pride as a Legendary Warrior. She gave up protecting this world in favor of working for the very being her past life worked so hard to defeat, a Demon Lord. She is so afraid of death and holds petty grudges and that is what led her to this life of treachery and wrongdoings. I bow my head in pride of being the kind of warrior who has never strayed from her path! A warrior who protects the youth of the Digital World because they are the hope, not me."

Calmaramon was trembling, eyes narrowed, eyebrows stitched, and her body quaking as she screamed to the heavens. It was an unholy sound and one that evoked terror in the hearts of all. And they watched as Calmaramon's spiked tentacle came down on Zoey, ready to flatten her.

"Zoey!" Bokomon shouted.

"Look out!" Neemon called.

Zoey jumped backwards, out of the rain and out of the way but then she back flipped right back onto the tentacle. Everyone gaped as they watched the human girl race up Calmaramon's arm and when she reached the main body, she twisted around and landed a drop kick on the squid's face.

Gazimon and Pagumon were freed and they landed on Bokomon and Neemon who tried to catch them but only ended up as their cushions. But as their pupils looked upwards, they saw that Zoey had picked up her D-Tector earlier without anyone noticing as she used it to wrap herself in a data cocoon.

"Execute Beast Spirit Evolution! Zephyrmon!" In her beast form, she flew right back into Calmaramon's face at a speed that could give anyone whiplash. "Plasma Paws!" She crashed into the larger foe which pushed Calmaramon straight to the ground.

"This… humiliation…," Calmaramon huffed as she pushed herself up. "I will never forgive you… for this… humiliation."

"I'm not looking for forgiveness," Zephyrmon responded. "But I do hope the Sovereigns forgive _you_."

Calmaramon's breathing became heavier as she stared daggers at the floating beast Digimon. It was clear at that point that the provocation was the coolness in her foe's voice, the way that she behaved as if everything was going according to her plans, as if nothing could go wrong even when she was pushed into a corner. The nerve of the girl!

"I will not lose to you!" Calmaramon screamed before flying upwards. "Titanic Tempest!"

Zephyrmon watched as she drill came spinning down from above her but once more, using her superior speed, she moved out of the way; one nanosecond before getting struck. One moment, she was supposed to be ripped to shreds and in the next, she was turning back into Kazemon and launching a flurry of kicks into Calmaramon's main body.

"Rosy Thunderstorm!"

With that, Calmaramon became a silhouette and a data ring surrounded her waist. Kazemon could hear it, the Warrior of Water's whispers into the air, telling her fellow warrior that she was sorry. Because in the end, it was all true, she was afraid of death at the hands of the Demon Lords and she hated Kazemon for being so certain of her path. For possessing the righteousness that the Warrior of Water lacked.

"I hope the wind blows you to a better tomorrow," Kazemon stated before pulling out her D-Tector. "Fractal Code Digitize!"

When the fairy had completed her job, she landed on the floor with an exhalation of relief before getting pestered by her friends. Bokomon was commending her on an excellent job well done while Neemon was asking for the whereabouts of Zoey. Thus, the little rabbit creature received a pants snap for his density.

"I'm amazed you did all that in your human form," said Bokomon.

"I've been taking rhythmic gymnastics courses and dance classes," Zoey told them. "Not to mention, with my wind powers, I could make myself lighter and even push myself to move faster." She wondered if she should add that she needed to learn how to defend herself due to certain incidents back home. But she supposed there was nothing wrong in omitting those parts of her past. Besides, she needed to regroup with the others and help Kouichi.

But first, she needed to sheepishly accept the extensive gratitude of Gazimon and Pagumon.

"Eh?" Kazemon murmured when she heard the sound of a flag flapping in the wind. She turned to look and noticed a red banner above their heads with a rather familiar symbol on it though she could not remember where she had seen it before. One thing was for sure… "That flag wasn't there last time."

"You're right, I've never seen that flag before either," Neemon nodded.

"It's been there for months, you imbecile!" Bokomon snapped.

"Owie!"

Bokomon cleared his throat before addressing the human. "Yes, that flag is just to show that this area is protected by the United Xros Heart Army." That's why Zoey recognized it! It was the symbol Taiki drew to represent his army. "There's actually a base set up right here. I assume Ranamon was sent here to make the rain and keep us occupied from helping Kouichi. Either that, or they were preparing to attack the Fire Terminal but their plans were stopped thanks to you being here."

"That is likely to be the case," Zoey nodded. "I guess that's what they mean when they say a lucky coincidence."

"Who are 'they'? Neemon asked.

Another snap. "It's an expression, you numbskull!"

 **December 21: Ruins of Light Entrance – 9:42 AM**

The colossal size of Gravimon's army was as overwhelming as it had been three years ago. They were probably up against hundreds and if it weren't for the fact that Kiriha had so many powerhouses in his army, they might've been pushed into a very tough spot. Deckerdramon, Cyberdramon, and Volcdramon were enough to keep the lackeys at bay.

As for Gravimon, the Dark General had to answer to MegaGargomon and ZekeGreymon. Kiriha was worried about his other partners though, despite their massive strength. They were vastly outnumbered and they would need more assistance if they had any hope in winning.

"Oh, I see Deckerdramon's risen from the dead," Gravimon laughed.

Kiriha stiffened as he dug his nails into his palm. "Shut your mouth, Gravimon."

"Ooh, looks like I struck a nerve," Gravimon grinned. "Don't think that you'll be able to beat me with just power. Don't you remember my specialty?"

Kiriha did a quick once-over on his body to make sure there was no part of him that had the Dark General's core. It was the thing that kept Gravimon's heart beating but it could move around from body from body. Unless you destroy the core itself, Gravimon could essentially continuously revive forever no matter how many times you try to delete him. They were going to have to be cautious about that and caution wasn't something Kiriha practiced well.

"This won't be like last time, Gravimon," Kiriha growled.

 **Digital Analyzer** : Gravimon is a brilliant tactician with the ability to freely manipulate gravity and with such powers, he is able to survey an entire situation and control the course of the battle at will. He is known to weave hundreds of creative tactics that allow his powerful army to nearly dominate the battlefield almost every time. He is a cruel Digimon who acts as if war is a research laboratory in which he studies the questions of, which tactics will elicit the most screams, which scheme will surprise the enemy as they die, or which method will cause every opponent to die without shedding blood, and so on.

" _I am getting major creep vibes from this guy_ ," Terriermon muttered inside of MegaGargomon.

" _I am in no position to dispute that_ ," Henry agreed.

Kiriha didn't want to dawdle, he just wanted to get things over with, especially with his partners in danger. The best way to protect them, was to take out the General of the enemy army as quickly as possible. Without the lead tactician on their side, the underlings will be at a loss and overtaking them will be a cinch.

"Don't hesitate to hit him with your best shots!" Kiriha ordered. "No holding back against him!"

"Got it!" MegaGargomon replied before his blazing artillery made itself known. "Mega Barrage!"

ZekeGreymon released a hellfire from his mouth. "Zeke Flame!"

Gravimon laughed as he watched the attacks come at him and to their surprise, he shot upwards as if gravity decided to start pulling instead of pushing. This allowed the General to avoid the attacks before floating over their heads and increasing the weight of gravity on his foes.

"This trick again?" MegaGargomon grunted as he was pushed to his knees.

" _Let's show him why he can't use it against Tamers!_ " Terriermon called out.

Henry agreed but as soon as he materialized the card he needed and his D-Power, gravity became exponentially lighter as he and ZekeGreymon suddenly flew upwards like rockets. It was such an abrupt transition but Henry slid the card through and they were suddenly falling from the sky. Before either one of the Digimon could keep themselves airborne, they saw boulders coming from the ground and coming at them like bullets.

"He's manipulating the gravity of the rocks now?" ZekeGreymon growled.

"Where are they even all coming from?" MegaGargomon added.

The answer was shown when two of the boulders that had already passed them, changed direction and came falling back down. The two Digimon were stuck in a small space in the air, attempting to avoid getting pummeled to death. And when they tried to get out of the gravity field, a flying boulder would stop them. They tried destroying the boulders but they would suddenly compress and dig deeper into the bodies of their victims.

" _Maybe if we get the golden snitch, this game will be over_ ," Terriermon muttered.

" _This is not the time for your jokes!_ "

" _Momentai, Henry._ "

It was also definitely not the time to relax but Henry didn't say anything about that. As for Kiriha on the ground, he could do nothing but watch as his comrades flew around in figure eights as the giant rocks grazed their bodies, leaving scratches in the armor.

"Think Kiriha, what should I do in this case?" Kiriha huffed to himself.

He looked over at Gravimon, the one conducting the flying rocks and it seemed like the only way to help out his teammates was to attack Gravimon. But his main army was fighting against the enemy. Then again… He looked at his army and formulated another tactic in his mind.

"Cyberdramon, clear a path that leads into the center of that army!" Kiriha commanded. "Volcdramon, that's where you will be positioned before releasing the fumes. Deckerdramon, stay back and cover them as best as possible with your artillery!"

"You got it!" Deckerdramon replied.

Gravimon watched the scene below in his periphery because he couldn't break concentration lest he wanted MegaGargomon and ZekeGreymon on his back again. It didn't take long before Cyberdramon was flying out of the chaos and Volcdramon was being assaulted from all sides.

"Now!" Kiriha ordered the volcanic dragon.

Volcdramon roared before covering everything within a ten kilometer radius with sulfur. "Circle of Death!" Deckerdramon and Kiriha covered their noses and mouths to avoid the sulfuric fumes while everyone else, meaning the Earth Spirit army, fell unconscious.

"Everyone finish them off!" Kiriha called out.

"Volcanic Fount!" "Eraser Claw!" "Smokey Fang!"

The following explosion wasn't supposed to happen, at least, not to the magnitude that Kiriha had been anticipating, and not his partners either. The rocks suddenly stopped flying around MegaGargomon and ZekeGreymon before hailing down in the blink of an eye and crashing into the three Digimon down below. They were all stunned speechless when the smoke cleared and they saw Deckerdramon, Voldramon, and Cyberdramon all on the ground with stones lodged into their skin and burn marks everywhere.

"You set bombs in your subordinates?!" Kiriha shouted, his tone accusatory.

Gravimon laughed as he shrugged innocently. "What was I supposed to do? Your army may be smaller but they are all incredibly strong, I needed something to balance things out. So Apocalymon offered to imbue their codes with a kamikaze line, meaning when they die, they take others with them. The only issue is that they will never be reborn. A minuscule price to pay, really."

The Dark General floated down and landed on top of Deckerdramon, sitting down and crossing his legs, making Kiriha palms tremble and bleed as his nail broke skin. MegaGargomon and ZekeGreymon joined the boy though they wished they could've attacked the cruel monster seated in front of them but they knew that he could easily destroy one of their injured friends if they made the wrong move.

"What? You're afraid of a fair fight?" Kiriha accused.

"Scared?" Gravimon chuckled. "Oh yes, Kiriha, I am deathly terrified. But not of you, I assure you. Of the Demon Lords… of the Master… and they want this job done. What job, you may ask? Simple, the death of one Henry Wong."

MegaGargomon stiffened. "Why? Why do you want to kill me so badly?"

"Are we not _all_ threats to the Demon Lords?" Kiriha added.

"Of course you are," Gravimon nodded. Cyberdramon and Volcdramon attempted to stand back up but were pushed right back into the ground, without the General even having to move a muscle. "However, Henry seems to be their biggest concern. Something to do with… a spore?"

Inside the bio-merged Digimon, Henry touched the back of his neck. Seriously, he couldn't comprehend why it was so important! What made his spore different from Sora's or Takuya's or Kristy's? They mentioned something about his homicidal tendencies, the ones he had buried a long time ago. Did that have something to do with it? But why? Why was he such a big threat to them?

" _Momentai_ ," Terriermon whispered to his partner. " _We'll figure it out._ "

"So I have a simply proposition for you," Gravimon continued. "Kiriha, kill Henry and I will spare your friends."

"What?" Kiriha gasped.

"You're too lazy to complete your own mission?" ZekeGreymon snarled.

"It's not that," Gravimon replied with a yawn. "It's just not fun without an army to boss around. And I've already answered my question, how many hostages can I retrieve with the sacrifice of the most allies? But more importantly, I know that I won't stand much of a chance against both you at once. So how about ZekeGreymon and I fight MegaGargomon together?"

"What makes you think I'll accept such an absurd offer?" Kiriha scoffed.

Gravimon smiled as he placed a flimsy hand on Deckerdramon's head. "First of all, I can crush these three instantly if I really wanted to and I'm sure you don't want that. Second of all, Henry is supposedly dangerous to you as well. I heard from the Demon Lords that he could potentially turn on the Chosen Children and destroy both sides."

"One person shouldn't have the potential to do all that," Kiriha spat. "If he was going to betray us, then we would just have to put him down. But seeing as I have no reason to distrust him but plenty of reasons to distrust you, I don't think I'll be destroying him anytime soon."

Gravimon's smile turned downwards. "Then I guess you should say goodbye to your army."

"Goodbye friends," Kiriha smile. "Get better soon."

"What?"

Dracomon suddenly popped out of the ground near Kiriha's other partners, holding the blue X-Loader which suddenly sucked in the injured trio before diving back underground. Gravimon, who had been sitting on Deckerdramon, started falling to the ground but when he caught himself, ZekeGreymon was suddenly right next to him.

"Trident Fang!"

Gravimon quickly changed his own gravity to fly upwards where MegaGargomon aimed at him with his massive missiles. "Gargo Missiles!" The Dark General changed the gravity of the attacks and made them strike the ground instead but the assault wasn't done as ZekeGreymon showed up behind him. "Plasma Railgun!"

"Did you think only Taiki came up with the big battle strategies?" Kiriha smirked. "While you were playing around with MegaGargomon and ZekeGreymon, I gave a battle plan to Dracomon who relayed it to those two after you had finished implementing your plan. I knew that I just needed to keep you talking long enough to execute my own scheme."

"How dare you make a fool out of me?!" Gravimon yelled as he dodged the gunfire. "I will have you pay for–!"

MegaGargomon grabbed the enemy from behind before spinning around at a speed that would make tornadoes dizzy. "Mega Twister!" At some point, when Gravimon had become exceptionally nauseous, he was let go and he crashed into the ruin's caved-in entrance. "Gargo Missiles!"

"Final Trident Strike!"

Both attacks collided into Gravimon's body, leaving behind a swirl of data. Kiriha bit the inside of his thumb as the others regrouped with him. There was no way that the battle was over just like that, not with Gravimon's ability to regenerate. So where was the core? Where did that General hide it?

"It'll take time before he comes back," Kiriha told them as MegaGargomon returned to normal. "We should join up with Kouichi, first and foremost."

Henry was rubbing at the back of his neck while his partner tried to tell him to stop it. Kiriha noticed as well but what could he say to the other boy? Don't worry about it? There was definitely plenty to worry about but they just didn't have the time at the moment.

Just then, Kazemon came flying in, a welcome distraction from the spore in Henry's neck. "Hey, I got everything sorted out on my end." She glanced at what had been the war zone and noticed craters, rubbles, and debris everywhere. "Either a battle ensued or the ruins have gone downhill since the last time I visited."

"We took care of things, don't worry," Terriermon told her.

"But not the main enemy just yet," Henry added. "He has the power to regenerate himself so be on the lookout." He pulled out his D-Power and showed the Legendary Warrior an image of the foe they had just temporarily eliminated. "He's a dangerous and crafty one so don't try taking him on alone."

Kazemon saluted. "Yes sir." She then glanced around. "Where are the others?"

"In the ruins," Kiriha answered before addressing Dracomon who gave back the X-Loader. "Can you reopen the entrance?"

"Henry, let me help out to!" Terriermon added.

"Huh? Oh, right," Henry nodded.

As they got to digging, Kiriha kept looking around as if Gravimon would suddenly spring back to life while Kazemon took to the skies to make sure everything looked okay from above. As for Henry, there was a theory brewing in his head. And as he touched the back of his neck, he was almost certain he'd be right.

 **December 21: Ruins of Light – 9:44 AM**

When Ken and Relena made it inside, members of the Earth Spirit army tried to get in as well so Bearmon quickly caused a cave-in which trapped them inside but at least kept the enemies out. In the darkness, Ken had to light up a torch while Wormmon took a headlamp, like the one he used back in Mexico. And once again, Ken had no idea where it came from, but at least it provided him with the light he needed to make his torch.

As they walked through the dark halls, they listened for the sound of combat or even just a voice because at the moment, they were just making random turns in hopes that they'll find someone. Ken tried looking to his D-3 but Yolei's signal wasn't showing up. That meant that they still weren't in range.

"How big can this place be?" Ken muttered to himself.

"Madam?" Bearmon said, looking up to his partner. "Are you scared?"

"No, of course not," Relena answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you are not allowing me to walk on my own two feet."

Relena had been hugging Bearmon like a teddy bear while frantically looking around for the last couple of minutes. It was hard for her not to be scared though, she had gone through a lot in terms of danger but at least then, she was always in the human world. This time, not only was she in a foreign dimension, but she was in the dark. She was terrified of the dark.

"Sorry," Relena murmured.

"You don't have to put me down," Bearmon stated. "Just don't squeeze me so tightly."

"Okay…"

Ken glanced backwards at his companion before holding his hand out to her, causing her to stop moving. "I know we have two light sources already but it's still dangerously dark. We should make sure that we don't get separated."

Relena nodded before taking it as they started walking. She had put on such a big a show too during Armageddemon's second coming with the rampaging she did on Grizzmon's back. She had wanted to make a big impression on the other Chosen Children attending but here she was, in the dark, clinging on to her partner and the hand of her classmate.

"I must be quite the burden, being as inexperienced as I am," Relena said into the echoing hallway.

"No, you're not," Ken replied. "And I'm not just saying that to be nice. You're levelheaded and you think ahead, you've already got traits that Davis and Yolei didn't have when they first started." This caused her to giggle a little. "Besides, there's no better training than the hands-on kind. Being in the Digital World is the perfect place for that. Just… be a little more cautious. You brother would probably have a heart attack if something happened to you."

"No, I'm sure Thomas would spontaneously combust if something happened to me," Relena smiled. "But I don't want that to happen of course. I'll stay safe."

"I'll keep you safe," Bearmon assured her.

"Thanks," Relena nodded.

Wormmon tilted his head upwards when he realized he ended up moving the light so he quickly shone it back down the hall while speaking. "Out of curiosity, how did you and Bearmon meet exactly? I don't think you ever told us."

"Hm… You're right. I don't think I ever did," Relena replied. "Well, here's how it happened…"

 _It was sometime in early October, Relena had finally gotten the okay from her doctors to start walking but after the first week, she had given up. Kristy, Keenan, and her big brother all tried to convince her to keep going but she wouldn't listen. The medicine may have cured her, but she wasn't used to using her legs at all and no matter how much she tried, she'd fall over. It felt genuinely hopeless to try._

 _One day, in her wheelchair, she was going through a private botanical garden. It was one of her favorite places to be because she didn't have to worry about reaching for anything nor did she need someone to chaperone her. Though just in case, her father always had servants around to keep watch from a distance._

 _Relena had just wheeled herself over to some orchids when she noticed something underneath a rosebush. It looked to be an animal of some sort and her curiosity got the better of her as she tried to get a closer look. She ended up leaning over too far and tumbled out of the chair but her face never hit the dirt._

" _You could've crushed the flowers," a childish voice stated._

 _Relena thought it was Gaomon at first because whoever had caught her was small and furry. But the voice was unlike the canine's. When she was put back into her chair, that's when she saw him, her partner, Bearmon._

" _You're a… Digimon. Aren't you?" she asked._

 _Bearmon glanced down at himself. "Is that what I am?"_

" _You didn't know?"_

" _I was born in this garden."_

 _Born here? So that meant Bearmon had been in that garden since he was just an egg, without any knowledge of what he was or what anything was for that matter. Well, it certainly explained the fruits and vegetables that had been going missing recently. But wait, didn't it take months, sometimes years for a Digimon to evolve? How did this one grow up so quickly?_

 _Relena cocked her head to the side. "When did you get here?"_

 _Bearmon shrugged. "I don't know, madam."_

" _Madam?"_

" _That's what those scary-looking men call you every day so I thought that was your name," Bearmon said. "Should I call you something else? Because I really like calling you madam… It feels right for me. Especially because that's what I've been referring to you as for a while."_

" _Madam is fine," Relena giggled._

 _Bearmon nodded before averting her eyes. "Are you going to kick me out now? I'm sorry for stealing your food."_

 _Relena examined the bear closely and she couldn't help thinking that he was awfully cute with his big innocent eyes and bit fluffy paws. She then looked down at his feet to notice how careful he was about not stepping on the stems._

" _You saved me and those flowers," Relena told him. "I think that warrants some forgiveness for the lost food. Besides, anyone who seems to love flowers as much as you do can't be a bad person."_

" _Thank you, madam."_

" _Of course."_

 _Bearmon reached for his cap and pulled it off, showing a rose that had been hiding there. He plucked it from the top of his fuzzy head and put it in Relena's hands. "For you! To commemorate you being my first ever friend!"_

-X-

 **Zenjirou and AtlurBallistamon succeeded in taking down Olegmon as Zoey did against Ranamon! But their troubles aren't over as Gravimon is still on the loose and they still haven't found Kouichi and Yolei. How will the tide of the battle between good and evil turn? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **Attention folks! I have recently been informed that there are sites that mirror this one and have stolen every story as their own. They're even making a monetary profit from it. I don't feel comfortable with the thought of some stranger making money from my writing and I'm sure other writers feel the same so if you could report those sites, that would be helpful. For more information, just google "all stories have been stolen" and you should find the Tumblr link. Just don't click the spam-mirror sites because they apparently contain viruses and malware. Thank you for listening to this very important public service announcement.**

 **Thank you for reading and please leave a review!**


	9. Duskmon's Vendetta

**Compared to the other two groups, this one is just zipping by, isn't it. Either I'm trying to speed things up or there really isn't that much to explore in these kids. Or maybe I'm running out of steam to generate massive fight scenes. I still enjoy them but… Anyway! I believe our focus is finally going to be on Kouichi, Yolei, and Mako (The one no one realizes is with them). So this'll be fun. Last time we saw them, Duskmon just made his appearance, so it is now time for the battle of darkness in the Ruins of Light. Ironic. Enjoy!**

 **P.S. I realize the updates are coming along really quickly but it's because this story is a lot of fun to write. The consistency of these updates is going to continue to fluctuate though so be careful not to expect too much out of me.**

-X-

 **December 21: Ruins of Light – 9:01 AM**

This had to be a nightmare. That was the only plausible explanation here. If Velgemon had been stuck in the Spirit World then shouldn't Duskmon have been as well? Not only that, the Warrior of Darkness was much too unstable to be his own separate being. He would need a human host in order to maintain his physical form. Unless… he had one.

"It's been a long while," Duskmon chuckled. "I've been wanting to see how you've grown."

Yolei looked over to the boys, noticing that Mako was trembling as he tried to hide behind the older one. As for Kouichi, his face became devoid of color and while he was shaking like there was an earthquake going on inside of the pit of his stomach, his pupils were erratic with motion. It almost looked like he was going to throw up and if she hadn't stepped in front of them, he actually might've.

"Don't think that you can have your way with Kouichi like last time," she glared. Then she jabbed a thumb to her chest. "You'll have to get past me first."

Duskmon cocked his head to the side as if assessing them before laughing. It bounced off the walls and hit their ribcages, causing them to cause a clangor in their chests while simultaneously sending Antarctic chills down their spines. What sort of black magic did he use to rattle their bones the way he did?

"And after I had just congratulated him for becoming independent," Duskmon laughed. "But it seems I have to take it back. You will always be a useless fool, Kouichi Kimura. What is a proper title for someone like you? Wait, I know. A leech."

Kouichi clenched his fists and took a shaky breath before retorting. "Funny, coming from someone who needed my body in order to fight. If anyone here is a leech, it would be you, Duskmon! I don't mooch off of others for my own selfish gain."

"Did I use you? Or was I the one being used?"

There was a short pause and Kouichi swore everyone in that room could hear his heartbeat pounding. "What are you talking about?"

Yolei knew how bad guys worked. They liked playing with the enemy's minds so there was no doubt in her's that Duskmon was trying to get into Kouichi's. And at the current moment, he was playing right into his hands which didn't exactly sit well with her. Her partner seemed to agree. And they also silently agreed that it was a good thing he hadn't flown through that crack in the ceiling before Duskmon made his presence known.

"Yolei, we shouldn't waste any more time with his silly mind games," Hawkmon advised. "Let me evolve and we can fight him!"

The bespectacled girl nodded but when she reached for her D-3, it wasn't anywhere on her person. She gasped as she started checking every single pocket on her clothes and on her bag but it was nowhere to be found. It must've fallen off her belt when they had fallen into that place! Since Hawkmon couldn't evolve without it, Duskmon continued.

"Was it not you who wanted revenge on Kouji for living the happy life while you and your mother suffered?" Duskmon asked. "If it had been up to me, I would've destroyed them a while ago but you hesitated. Don't you understand, Kouichi? You were always the one in control of my power. Therefore, you used _my_ body, _my_ power, in order to destroy the people you now call your friends. But you were too weak to do it. It doesn't change the fact that you were using me though… not the other way around."

Yolei gripped Kouichi's elbow when she noticed him shaking. "Enough! Kouichi, you're stronger than this guy is! Don't listen to his lies. It's all in the past and you've paid your dues."

Her underclassman nodded before pulling out his D-Tector. He tried to produce a data ring but the shadows around the wall suddenly started moving, gaining physical form as they plucked his digivice right out of his hands.

"Two for one," Duskmon chuckled.

Yolei's eyes widened as she noticed her red D-3 in his other hand. When had he taken it from her?

"Coward!" Mako spat.

"Don't blame me if I fight dirty," Yolei growled, fists bunched up tight.

The girl suddenly ran forward before anyone could stop her. It wasn't out of character for her to be reckless but this was a suicide mission no matter how you spun it. As she ran towards the Digimon, she grabbed a rusty metal pipe sticking out of the ground, yanking it out and raising it over her head like a sword.

"Yolei! Get back! It's too dangerous!" Kouichi and Hawkmon called after her.

' _Just like how Cody does it in practice_ ,' she thought to herself.

Yolei swung down with the pipe which was blocked by Duskmon's blade. The evil warrior then tried to kick Yolei in the chest but barely missed his mark thanks to Hawkmon grabbing onto his partner's collar with his beak and reeling her backwards. The girl tumbled out of the way and smirked.

"That was dangerous!" Hawkmon chided.

His partner gave him the peace sign. "But my plan worked."

"What plan?" the avian frowned

Yolei raised her palm to the sky and a red blur landed on it. Her D-3! As she was falling backwards because of Hawkmon's yank, she thought back to some of Davis's soccer flips on the field and smoothly kicked the device out of Duskmon's grip. As for how she knew that it would land in her hand the way it did, well that was just luck. But no one else needed to know that.

"Thanks Kouichi," Yolei called out to him.

"Eh?"

They noticed that the shadows around them were moving about crazily but some other shadows were keeping them from impaling Yolei. Duskmon had apparently attempted to use his manipulation of the darkness to hurt the eldest human but Kouichi used his similar powers to protect her. Unfortunately, he didn't have expert control and it was draining him of a lot of energy to maintain it.

"No problem," he grunted. "Just evolve Hawkmon, already!"

"Leave it to us!" Yolei nodded.

"Hawkmon Digivolve to… Aquilamon!"

Duskmon did not seem pleased with the fact that he had been sort of outsmarted by a human but that was fine. Just because the bird Digimon became larger didn't make him any more of a threat than he was before.

The humans quickly tried to get farther away from the dancing shadows trying to strangle them while Aquilamon blasted his way past with his Blast Rings attack. When he got close enough, he feinted by flying straight up and circling around until he charged downwards, his horns blazing hot. "Grand Horn!"

After tucking away Kouichi's D-Tector, he drew both of his swords and used them to block the horns. "Lunar Plasma!" He absorbed the energy stored in the eagle's horns before making an X-shaped slash, cutting into Aquilamon's torso.

"Aquilamon!" Yolei gasped.

"I'm fine," the bird coughed. "Just caught off guard."

Aquilamon stayed as far away as possible inside the dome, circling the perimeter and waiting for an opening to strike. But Duskmon wasn't giving him any as he moved the shadows and shot them towards the bird who had to maneuver his way through them like a leaf in the wind. He also had to keep an eye on the humans, make sure they wouldn't get struck down by Duskmon's attacks either and that wasn't an easy task.

"Ghost Move!"

Aquilamon blinked and Duskmon was gone. He blinked again and the Warrior of Darkness was suddenly on top of him, riding him.

"Get off! No hitchhikers allowed!" Aquilamon shouted.

Duskmon smirked underneath his mask. "Memory Disturbance!"

Aquilamon's eyes went blank as flashes of various memories started racing through his mind. He could see the day Yolei picked up the Digi-Egg of Love and met him but as if there was a bad signal, she started flickering. Suddenly, Yolei wasn't there anymore and instead stood Duskmon. The entire scenery changed around them as Sora, Izzy, Cody, TK, and Kari all vanished like they were dust, blown away by the wind.

" _Hawkmon, are you okay?" Duskmon inquired._

" _Who?" Hawkmon blinked, suddenly feeling sharp pain on every feather of his body. "What… happened?"_

" _Humans. Evil humans that want to eradicate our kind," Duskmon told him, lifting up the injured bird in his arms. The warrior was being so careful with the winged creature's body that Hawkmon was starting to think of him as a kind Digimon, despite his appearance. "They destroyed my friends and yours too."_

" _How could they do such a thing?"_

" _Because they are vile creatures."_

" _Which ones… killed my friends?"_

Aquilamon followed Duskmon's sword which pointed at Yolei, Kouichi, and Mako standing on the sidelines, calling for his name. But in Aquilamon's ears, they sounded like they were jeering at him, making fun of him, as if he was a useless creature who couldn't win in a battle with even the smallest of their species.

"They're the ones who did it," Duskmon whispered into the eagle's ears. "And look at how they laugh at you."

Aquilamon roared in anger as he changed directions and aimed his following attack on his own friends. "Blast Rings!"

They all jumped out of the way, Yolei to the right and Kouichi, with Mako on his back, to the left. The rings caused an explosion but Yolei's screeching was louder than it as she tried to reach her partner's ears. "Aquilamon! What are you doing?!"

"Be quiet humans! Wind Breath!"

Yolei was suddenly hit with a blast of cold air as she was lifted off the ground and crashed into a wall, bruising her back rather badly. As if that wasn't enough, she cut herself against a rusty pipe which tore through the skin on her arm and caused her to bleed. Not that she cared to notice. Her brainwashed partner took priority here.

"Aquilamon, snap out of it!" she shouted. "You're an ally of humans! You're my best friend!"

Aquilamon wasn't listening. "You cannot fool me! Grand Horn!"

Yolei bit her lip and Kouichi could tell she was going to do something dangerously reckless again. When Aquilamon charged at her, she jumped and latched onto Duskmon's waist. The Warriors of Darkness, both of them, had their eyes bug out when she made that rather stupid move.

"What did you do to my partner?!" she screamed.

"Foolish girl!" Duskmon scoffed, his blade gleaming. "Do you have a death wish?"

The warrior could've amputated her arm if she hadn't let go at the last second. Kouichi placed Mako down before running forward and catching the falling girl before she could die from falling on her head. Once again, her absurd idea had allowed her to retrieve another digivice.

"Your D-Tector," she breathed shakily. "Quickly, evolve and save Aquilamon."

Kouichi nodded but before he could do anything, he was interrupted again as Duskmon dismounted and landed near Mako. The little boy tried to get out of the way but when he tried to stand, he stumbled back down because of his injured ankle. In a flash, Kouichi was standing in between the boy and the warrior as lasers shot out from every one of the Digimon's eyes. "Deadly Gaze!"

"Kouichi!" Yolei screamed as the boy fell to his knees, blood leaking from his lips.

Duskmon was taking slow purposeful steps towards the boys, one of them unconscious and the other frantically trying to wake him up. Yolei would've run towards them if her partner wasn't charging after her with another Grand Horn attack. What other reckless thing could she do? What would Davis do? What would Cody do? What would TK, Kari, or Ken do?

"This is the end!" Aquilamon bellowed.

She knew what _she_ would do. Yolei stood firm in front of Aquilamon and when the eagle was in front of her, she took him by the horns, as they seared into her flesh. She didn't care though as she was picked up off the ground and into the air.

"I'm your friend!" Yolei shouted into his ear. "We've been together for the last four years! Do you not remember me at all?!"

Duskmon was now in front of the boys and Mako, trying to be brave, covered Kouichi's head with his body, as if doing so would be the ultimate defense against the warrior's weapons. "It's been sweet, Kouichi," Duskmon chuckled. He was about to bring down his sword when a giant bird flew in front of him, picking up Kouichi and Mako by his talons.

Yolei, riding on top of her partner, reached down and pulled Mako up onto the bird's back, wincing due to her blistering hands. But with Mako's help, they were able to bring Kouichi onto Aquilamon's back as well. The avian flew into the hallway where they had come out from and looking back, they could see shadowy snakes making their way towards them. Despite not having faces, there was something that emanated rage in those shadows.

"I'm sorry for the trouble I caused," Aquilamon said.

"Don't worry about it," Yolei coughed. "It could've happened to any one of us."

Mako was looking over Kouichi before noticing the death grip that the boy had on his D-Tector. If the younger male remembered correctly, those devices worked like communicators to other D-Tectors. The Monster Makers tried adding that function to the other digivices but it seemed when they tried, they only received static. It was a function unique to the D-Tectors apparently.

"Yolei, do you think we can contact another Warrior with this?" Mako asked, pointing at the device.

She nodded before pulling it out of Kouichi's hands. Hopefully, she knew what she was doing as she pressed random buttons before getting static. The screen displayed the pink symbol for the Legendary Warrior of Wind so she knew she came into contact with Zoey. A wave of relief hit her just like that rock that almost did from above though it did hit Kouichi. He came to but only for a second.

"K-Kouichi!" Yolei yelped. "Stay with me!" She then remembered that Zoey was on the line. "I'm trying to get away from a madman! Kouichi's unconscious and there's no way we can win on our own. Duskmon is coming after us!" Aquilamon had to swerve out of the way of a falling rock, causing her to scream her head off into the device. "Help!"

 **December 21: Ruins of Light Entrance – 9:53 AM**

Kazemon was staring worriedly at her D-Tector and the others knew what was going on inside her head. It's been over twenty minutes since that static-filled SOS was sent to them from Yolei. Who knew what Duskmon had done to them at that point? Hopefully they were getting away.

"We're in!" Dracomon cheered. He and Terriermon high-fived each other for finally breaking open a hole big enough for them to get through.

They agreed that it would be better for Kiriha and Henry to stay outside since their Digimon would be too big to fight inside the ruins. It would likely cause an even bigger cave-in if they weren't careful. Besides, Gravimon could potentially be hiding out there to attack Fire Terminal once they were gone. They heard from the Warrior of Wind that Fire Terminal was a base of the United Xros Heart Army, without it, hope would start diminishing in Ebonwumon's sector.

"Be careful, Kazemon," Henry said.

"Don't worry about me," Kazemon replied. "I've fought Duskmon many times before." Granted, it was Takuya and Kouji that defeated him but she wasn't going to sell herself short. "Besides, Ken and Relena are in there too. You guys just make sure Bokomon, Neemon, and the rest of the town stays safe."

"Leave it to us!" Terriermon saluted.

"Dracomon, do you think you can go with her?" Kiriha asked. "They might need to get out of there fast and you could probably provide them with an escape route."

"No problem, Kiriha!" Dracomon saluted before following Kazemon into the hole.

Kazemon landed on the floor with a light tap as she glanced around. Thanks to the light from the outside, she could still see but she was aware that everything would become pitch black if she just walked a few feet in front of her. But then she felt heat near her leg and new shadows threw themselves onto the walls from a new light source. A torch.

"Thanks Dracomon," Kazemon smiled.

Dracomon grinned while holding up the flaming stick. "We should hurry. Who knows what happened to the others."

Kazemon nodded as they started on their way. The larger Digimon pulled out her D-Tector in an attempt to contact Kouichi one more time while they were walking. She had been hoping that now they were closer, the signal would be better. Imagine her relief when the purple symbol for the Warrior of Darkness showed up on her screen.

"Kouichi?" she gasped. "Are you there?"

" _Zoey? It's me, Yolei,_ " came the reply. It was quiet, barely above a whisper so Kazemon was automatically struck by the image of them in hiding. This meant that they were safe to say the least. For now anyway. " _Kouichi's still unconscious but Mako, Hawkmon, and I are all okay._ "

Mako's with them too? Kazemon couldn't believe they dragged a little kid in this mess. Though Tommy was even younger during his first adventure so she supposed there wasn't any room to say that he was too young to be in the Digital World or anything. At least he's safe too.

"Do you guys know where you are?" Kazemon asked, also in a whisper, just in case. "Like if there are any notable landmarks near you?"

She could almost see the older girl shaking her head. " _Sorry. But if it helps, we're hiding out in complete darkness so we're not near any place with a light source._ "

It really wasn't that much help since this entire labyrinth was unlit, in pitch black darkness. Still, it did cross out the dome where Kouji found his human spirit, the main entrance to the north, and that leafy place where she and Takuya fell through that hole. Granted, according to Bokomon, they didn't even see ten percent of the ruins. This means there was so much left unexplored for them.

"We'll find you. Just stay safe until then," Kazemon told them.

" _Okay, just be careful_ ," Yolei swallowed. " _This bad guy's really strong._ "

Kazemon took a deep breath as memories flashed through her mind of the corrupted Legendary Warrior of Darkness fighting them. It took the fusion form of a human and beast spirit in order to even balance the strength out between them. Not only that, but he nearly killed them several times and if it weren't for Kouichi's lingering memories as a human, he might've succeeded.

"I know," Kazemon replied.

After she turned off her D-Tector, she noticed Dracomon a little ways away, holding the torch against a wall. He seemed rather entranced by whatever was on it and she fluttered over to join him. There was a moment of disbelief as she saw a wonderful mural on the wall, with drawings depicting humans in the Digital World with various digital partners.

"That looks like me," Dracomon said, pointing a claw at an image of a dragon Digimon.

Kazemon nodded. "Yeah. I think that's the Dracomon that was Mr. Mizuno's partner."

The dragon cocked his head to the side. This was the first he heard that the middle-aged man had a partner in the first place. Now that Kazemon thought about it, the revelation that the Monster Makers were the very first Chosen Children happened before the Generals and Hunters joined them. Not only that, but Shibumi never talked about his partner often. Henry did, once, which was how the warrior heard it in the first place.

"These other Digimon… look really familiar to me too," Dracomon continued, his claws grazing over each of the partners.

Kazemon examined the six humans in the painting. Her eyes glazed over what looked to be a samurai spinning a spear next to a Ryudamon, a martial artist in an offensive stance next to a FanBeemon, a knight drawing her sword next to a Salamon, a pirate aiming his pistol next to a Betamon, a mage with her staff raised over her head next to a Candlemon, and a… well, she couldn't tell what the sixth was supposed to be. It just looked like a cloaked figure wielding a scythe beside Dracomon.

"A Grim Reaper?" she muttered. "There's an interesting twist for a protector of the Digital World."

Dracomon shook his head. "I don't think so. A reaper takes souls of those who are ready to leave this realm of existence. By that logic, would it not be reasonable for a reaper to protect the souls of the living before they have to go?"

It was a bit convoluted. Almost stretching the job description of the bringer of death. But the way Dracomon jumped to the defense of this human had strengthened a theory working in the back of Kazemon's head. Was it possible though?

"Dracomon… Have you ever met Mr. Mizuno outside of Kiriha's X-Loader?" she asked.

The Rookie took a few seconds to think about it. "I think so."

"What did he say?"

"...Let's work hard together."

"Is this a recent memory? Or one from a past life?"

Dracomon didn't answer, he seemed to be contemplating his last few words. But he understood what Kazemon was implying and he wasn't completely sure he liked it. "Whatever happened, happened. I'm Kiriha's partner now."

"...I understand."

 **December 21: Ruins of Light – 9:56 AM**

Yolei mutely winced once she turned off the D-Tector which made the faintest of beeping sounds after conversing with Zoey. The group of four was hiding in a small hole in the wall that they nearly missed if it hadn't been for Aquilamon's exceptional night vision. Every once in a while, the Champion would poke his beak out and scope out the hallways so that Duskmon wouldn't get the jump on them.

"How's Kouichi?" Yolei whispered to Mako.

"He's still breathing if that helps," Mako replied, wishing he could at least see the outline of his companions. The most he knew in his dark surroundings was that the older boy's chest was rising and falling at a steady pace. "What about you? How are your hands?"

Yolei flexed her fingers, holding back the sounds of pain she wanted to emit. Mako was probably frightened enough as it was, he didn't need to know that the only awake human aside from himself was still badly injured.

"I have some ointment in my bag that helps with burns, don't worry," Yolei brushed off.

It wasn't a lie. But she was honestly too scared to unzip her bag to take it out, the sound might bounce around and hit the ears of their pursuer. Even if he didn't detect the sound, she would have to make temporary light with her digivice to find the ointment in the inky blackness and that would certainly give away their location if Duskmon was nearby.

Aquilamon abruptly shushed them and they froze up, hearts pounding against their ribcages when the sound of metal scraping along the floor echoed through the halls. Yolei wondered if this is what felt like to be in a real-life horror movie. Where the protagonists were hiding somewhere, in a closet or under a bed (which were probably the most cliché and obvious hiding places), and the supernatural serial killer was slowly trudging towards them.

Their breaths hitched when the scraping stopped suddenly. Hopefully, without a light source, Duskmon wouldn't be able to manipulate the shadows since everything was completely dark. But to their horror, a beam of red light flooded the tunnels and threw their shadows against the wall. Yolei was blinded and her ears were invaded by the terrified screams of a young boy.

"Mako?!" she yelled.

Duskmon used the massive eyeball on his chest to emit the red light and then manipulated a wisp of a shadow to grab Mako's ankle and then yank him towards him. His blades drawn, he would've beheaded the boy if a glittering golden blur hadn't cut into the shadows.

"That's… JewelBeemon!" Aquilamon gasped.

Mako fell onto his twisted ankle so he shouted in pain though it didn't make him any less grateful to be alive. Now he understood why grownups always told the younger generation that they didn't know how lucky they were. Granted, they were probably about the vast progression of technology but he was going to pretend they were talking about being alive as well.

Relena showed up by his side and she helped him onto Grizzlymon before mounting behind him. With them safely aboard the quadruped bear, they quickly bounded over to the hole where they retrieved the unconscious Kouichi and ran down the halls at top speed.

"Yolei, are you okay?" Ken asked as his partner kept Duskmon busy.

"I'm fine," Yolei scoffed before embracing her friend. "Thank you though."

Ken nodded before pulling away. But when his fingers brushed against her hands and she winced, he noticed the burn marks on them. So he grasped her wrists and examined her hands. "What happened? Did Duskmon do this to you?"

Aquilamon guiltily looked to his talons. "It was…"

"Indirectly," Yolei cut in. "Duskmon indirectly did it to me. But I'm fine Ken. Trust me."

Ken didn't exactly take her word for it but he told her to get out of there and follow Grizzlymon. "JewelBeemon and I will take care of things here so don't worry."

"I'm not leaving you alone," she protested.

"This isn't up for debate!"

His harsh tone startled her but she supposed it was to be expected. Ken was her friend, and she got hurt because of this enemy, he wasn't just going to sit around while Duskmon put her in further danger. He wanted her safe. So Yolei gave him a small nod before getting onto Aquilamon's back and taking off.

"Stay safe!" she called back.

Ken nodded. "You too!"

The teenager turned back to the fight to see sparks flying as his partner swung his prismatic spear to parry Duskmon's twin blades. The narrow space they fought in was disadvantageous for JewelBeemon who was used to flying and thanks to the torch in Ken's hand, casting shadows, the insect humanoid had to whack away the snaking shadows around him as well. So the Chosen Child had to focus on kicking and slapping away the shadows targeting him in order to keep his partner focused on the enemy at hand rather than his safety.

JewelBeemon took a few steps back and swung his weapon at the speed of light. "Spike Buster!" It sent out a sonic boom that blasted away the shadows and continued on towards his foe.

"Lunar Plasma!" Duskmon crossed his swords, absorbing the power from his opponent's attack and then shot forward with his weapons charged with another's power. With three quick, consecutive slashes, JewelBeemon was given cuts all over his torso.

"He broke through my armor?!" JewelBeemon gasped.

"And I will now break you!" Duskmon shouted.

Ken tensed up as he watched Duskmon arced his arms with the intent of splitting JewelBeemon in half, his legs and his torso. But despite the imminent danger in front of him, he could still observe other things. Like the feeling of someone's hands on his shoulder. And the sudden weight pushing him down as the owner of these hands used him to flip over his head and JewelBeemon's, landing in front of Duskmon.

"Hurricane Wave!"

The corrupted Warrior was blown away, quite literally, through the halls, disappearing into the darkness that was too far to be touched by the torchlight. JewelBeemon fell to one knee, breathing heavily because of the wounds that were made upon his body. The villain's swords didn't just break his armor, but it also cut through his skin. If he was human, he'd be bleeding.

"Kazemon, you're a lifesaver," JewelBeemon huffed.

The fairy Digimon gave him the okay sign. "Nessun problema."

"The Warrior of Wind, huh," Duskmon's husky voice called from the darkness. He stepped back into the torchlight. "It's good to see you're doing well."

"Wish I could say the same about you," Kazemon frowned.

Kazemon got into a fighting stance and charged forward without using her wings, knowing they would just scrape along the walls and hold her back. So she focused more on using physical attacks since the human host has been taking some martial arts classes in recent years. Besides, it was better than letting Duskmon use his Lunar Plasma to absorb her power and use it against her.

"JewelBeemon, try flying behind Duskmon and taking him on there," Ken advised.

"Good idea," his partner nodded.

The armored Digimon got onto Duskmon's other side who had to now concentrate on blocking two kicking nuisances with his blades. But that was the thing. Their enemy was using his swords which made it hard for Kazemon to get close without fear of getting cut into. JewelBeemon was having an easier time but it was hard to turn his staff in the narrow hallway.

Kazemon did a backbend to avoid the arc of Duskmon's blade and made a low sweep, swinging Duskmon's feet out from under him. As the corrupted Warrior fell, JewelBeemon raised his staff, ready to pierce right through the Digimon's heart.

"Deadly Gaze!"

Lasers shot out from every eye on his body and Ken had to block his eyes to keep dust and dirt from blowing in as the ceiling exploded from getting blasted. The boy used his ears to listen to the clashing of metals against metals and he hoped that Kazemon didn't get struck with her exposed skin. But when the dust cleared, he saw, to his relief, Zephyrmon blocking the sharp end of one of Duskmon's weapons with his sharpened claws.

"Plasma Paws!"

Zephyrmon sent a red electrified current through the sword but it didn't seem to do anything to Duskmon who ended up absorbing the energy instead, showing that he had initiated the Lunar Plasma attack before he even hit her. With the additional energy, he continued his slash and it struck Zephyrmon in the shoulder, causing her to fall to her knees.

JwelBeemon tried to pierce Duskmon while the enemy's back was turned. "Shot Claw!"

"Too slow," Duskmon remarked.

JewelBeemon found himself frozen in place as the shadows constricted his movement. Zephyrmon attempted to get back up and help him when the slithering darkness tied her to the ground, keeping her as immobile as her insectoid comrade. Both captured Digimon tried to speak up when the snakes wrapped around their throats and started choking them.

"No!" Ken gasped as he charged forward, dropping the torch in his hand. "Let them go!"

Ken, practiced in the art of judo, attempted to grab Duskmon while avoiding the sharp weapon and tossing the Digimon to the ground. But he realized he didn't have the physical power to do such a thing as Duskmon smoothly evaded the teenager's hands. In one fluid swipe, Ken's palm was slit by the sword but he tried to ignore the pain. What he couldn't ignore was the feeling of Duskmon's boot crashing into his stomach and sending him flying, putting out the fire on the torch when he landed on it.

The room was thrown into complete darkness and silence once again. Duskmon knew that his shadows had stopped strangling his two victims but they weren't saying anything so he could only assume that they were either dead or unconscious. He didn't want to check because what he really wanted was to slaughter his former host in cold blood. And he wasn't going to waste any more time than he already had.

Farther away from the battleground, Relena was trying to keep Kouichi steady in her arms whilst trying to hold on to her partner's neck fur. Mako, seated behind her, clung tightly to her waist as he bounced up and down on the bear's back. Not too far behind them was Aquilamon and Yolei.

"Do you even know where we're headed?" Yolei asked.

"Not a clue!" Relena replied back. "But do you hear that?"

Yolei attempted to ignore the sound of paws hitting the ground and flapping of an eagle's wings. Once that was out of her mind, she could hear someone shouting 'This way!' and it seemed like Grizzlymon was just following that noise. The older girl was tempted to point out that it could be a trap but what else could they do?

They suddenly saw light ahead of them and when entered the room, they found that it was the same place where they had first encountered Duskmon. To their surprise, Dracomon was down below in the dome, waving for them to join him.

"Kazemon isn't with you guys?" the dragon asked.

"She flew past us after we escaped from Duskmon," Yolei answered. "She must've gone to help Ken fight Duskmon."

Dracomon took that as an acceptable answer as he showed them to the hole he dug near the top which led to the outside. They all felt relieved that they were finally getting out of the dark and cramped underground but as they were heading towards it, they saw wispy shadows block the hole.

"What?!" they gasped.

"Duskmon," Grizzlymon growled turning around.

"But how can that be?" Yolei trembled. "Ken, JewelBeemon, and Kazemon… They were…"

Duskmon stepped into the doorframe, the light illuminating his nightmare of a body, blades on his sides and his eyes trained on his new victims. "Exterminated might be the word you're looking for, my dear. They got in my way and now they're dead."

"How did he get here so fast though?" Mako asked, uselessly trying to swallow down his fear.

"The shadows tell me everything," Duskmon chuckled. "And so does your precious Kouichi. He may not be my host anymore, but I am still connected to him in some way. So long as you have him with you, I will always find you." One of his blades vanished as he raised his hand as if he wanted someone to take it. "So why don't you just give him to me and I'll spare your lives?"

Relena's grasp on the unconscious boy tightened. "Never!"

But then, Kouichi stirred, slowly pushing himself off of the bear and stumbling down onto the ground. "Wait," he groaned. "I'll go with you! Please… Just let them go. That's all I ask." From that Deadly Gaze attack from earlier, he was not only bruised all over the front of his body, but he had lost quite a lot of blood. Even if he Spirit Evolved, he'd likely collapse from the movement.

"Kouichi, no!" Yolei yelled at him. "There's no guarantee that he'll follow through on it. He's just lying to get you to go with him!"

"She's right!" Relena agreed. "You're just walking to your own death!"

Kouichi slowly stood to his feet and they watched him stagger forward. "At least this way, there's a chance. Duskmon… You can destroy me. Just please… let them go."

Duskmon chuckled darkly. "Are you in any position to negotiate?" He then shrugged as he started walking towards his former partner. "But I don't really want to waste any more time or energy fighting two weakling Champions so I'll take that offer."

Aquilamon and Grizzlymon both took offense to that but what could they say? This was an enemy who took down an Ultimate level Digimon and another Legendary Warrior. They would probably do as much damage as feathers would to a brick. But did that mean they should just give up? Their partners didn't seem to think so.

Yolei ran over and grabbed Kouichi by the sleeve, stopping him and causing Duskmon to freeze mid-step as well. "I'm not letting you do this," his upperclassman said with a fire raging behind her eyes and tone. "Do you know how many bruises I got for you? And what about Ken or Zoey? Do you really want their sacrifice to end up this way? We get that you're trying to protect us but you're being really selfish in my opinion."

Relena joined the other girl and took Kouichi's other sleeve. "We're Chosen Children too, don't forget that. Just because Duskmon is your natural enemy and you're stronger than we are, doesn't mean we can't fight back."

"You guys," Kouichi exhaled.

Mako, peeking out from behind Grizzlymon, decided to put in his own two cents. "Besides, one of the reasons we came here is to get back Impmon. What's the point of doing that if we just end up losing more friends in the process?"

"Exactly," Yolei nodded. "So give us a chance to protect you."

"We promise you that it's a better fate than giving yourself up to this monster," Relena added.

Duskmon scoffed and in the blink of an eye, the shadows lining the edges of the walls came to life, whipping around and charging straight for them. But in a flash of red and yellow light, the shadows vanished and Duskmon had to cover his eyes with his arm to keep from going blind. To their surprise, another color joined in the lights, dark blue.

"Relena, where did you get that Data Burst Digivice?" Yolei asked the younger girl.

Relena pulled it off her belt. "Ken and I stumbled upon it when we were searching for you guys."

Suddenly, a voice inside the digivice called out. "Gatomon Data: 100%." And from the screen, a holographic Gatomon started spinning, completing one loop, breaking apart, and getting sucked into Yolei's D-3. "Transfer Complete."

"What in the world?" Yolei gasped.

Mako figured it out quickly enough. "Aquilamon and Gatomon DNA Digivolve into Silphymon! So if you have Gatomon data then…"

Yolei realized that the red glow wasn't from the D-3 but her chest and when she looked down, she noticed a symbol she had never seen before though it could only be described as a crest. It kind of looked like a three-leaf clover with holes in each of the leaves and circles inside of them. For some reason, it made her think back to when she had grabbed onto a raging Aquilamon and shouted that she was his friend or when she had kicked her digivice out of Duskmon's hand. That must've been when it first activated because something told her that this meant passion.

"Perfect for someone as fired up as you," Aquilamon chuckled.

"I'd take offense if it weren't so true," Yolei shot back with a grin.

As for Relena, she wasn't sure what made her whole body burst out in a yellow DigiSoul. From what she had been told, evolving her partner to the next level didn't have a specific time or requirement for when. Was it simply her desire to protect Kouichi from the darkness? Now that she thought about it, she had an irrational fear of the dark while Kouichi and Ken faced something far worse head on. What did she have to complain about?

"Madam, I will do my best to protect you and Mr. Kimura," Grizzlymon stated in his deep voice.

"Don't forget to keep yourself safe too," Relena mentioned.

Both girls raised their digivices and their partners became enveloped in a warm light. "Aquilamon DNA Digivolve to… Silphymon!" "Grizzlymon Digivolve to… Pandamon!"

As Mako had suspected, Aquilamon took on the form of Silphymon, a hybrid beast and human Digimon with the phenomenal speed of Aquilamon and the sensory capabilities of Gatomon. Thanks to those advanced hearing capabilities, Silphymon is able to combat any foe regardless of it being day or night.

As for Grizzlymon, it surprised Relena to find her partner had actually become smaller though he became bipedal and, in her opinion, much more adorable. However, the seriousness that was in his facial expression before still remained, showing sharp focus and dominating determination.

"Hmph, just because you evolve doesn't mean you can defeat me," Duskmon scoffed. "Deadly Gaze!"

The red hot lasers shot out from his eyes once more but the second right before they struck them, they all felt their feet lift off the ground and suddenly, they were placed on top of a ridge, overlooking the soon-to-be battlefield. Silphymon, with a speed that broke the sound barrier, had helped them up there while Pandamon cart wheeled out of the way of the attack.

"Now that the humans are safe, we can take out time taking you down," Silphymon remarked.

"Safe?" Duskmon guffawed. "Did you forget about my powers to control shadows?"

"We didn't," Pandamon stated. "That's what we asked Dracomon to help us out on."

"Hm?"

Suddenly, the room started to dim as they found the openings in the ceiling closing up with dirt and debris. They could hear the sound of claws scraping along the inside of the walls, making sure that the outside sunlight couldn't get in. And it wasn't long until the entire dome was thrown into darkness.

"No more shadow manipulation," Silphymon's voice said.

"But unfortunately for you, we both have excellent night vision," Pandamon stated.

Duskmon paused, letting the silence fall upon them like a heavy blanket for chuckling, breaking it to shreds. "I see! Now this is getting interesting! Two Ultimate level Digimon believe they can defeat the Warrior of Darkness… in the dark!" He stopped laughing, cracking his neck. "I can't wait to see how things turn out for you."

-X-

 **Oh man, Duskmon is not someone to be trifled with. He knocked the living daylights out of Kazemon, JewelBeemon, and Ken but let's hope that they're still alive. As for Yolei and the others, are two Ultimate level Digimon really enough to take down Duskmon? Will their abilities to see in the darkness be an asset or a detriment? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **Wow, I really know how to extend Duskmon's scenes. I guess I didn't want to make things too easy for this group. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed and don't forget to leave a review! I will see you guys later!**


	10. Razed to the Ground

**Hey guys, guess what! Starting from this chapter onwards, you guys will be getting a special bonus feature beginning each chapter. You guys can send me questions you have about the characters or for me through review or PM and they'll answer! For example, I have a question for our lovely Yolei. How did you end up with your non-Japanese nickname?**

 **Yolei:** Uh… I don't remember. Come to think about it… how did I get Yolei out of Miyako? Momoe, do you know?

 **Momoe:** I was studying French because we were going to France for the summer when you were three years old. I called you "jolie" which means "pretty," but you couldn't pronounce it right and just ended up chanting "Yolei" really happily. It ended up sticking to you though.

 **Kari:** Aw, what's really cute!

 **Yolei:** Well, naturally, I'm a cute person!

 **Davis:** Since when?

 **Yolei:** Why you little–! Get back here!

 **We… uh… apologize for technical difficulties. But yeah, that's how it works. So if you have questions to ask them, then they'll answer. If not, I'll work in a mini-skit for them. *Evil smirk* but that's enough comic relief, time for the chapter! Enjoy!**

-X-

 **December 21: Ruins of Light – 10:17 AM**

Silphymon and Pandamon were both speed-type Digimon and with their enhanced senses, they didn't need their eyes to see. The slightest whirring from a blade moving through the air was enough to signal them that their enemy was near. But unfortunately for them, their first double kicks, were blocked by Duskmon's blade.

"If you think plunging a room into darkness will stop me from seeing you, that's where you're wrong," Duskmon scoffed, pushing them both backwards.

Duskmon had the speed and skill to evade and deflect the attacks from his enemies, but no matter how you looked at it, he was at a disadvantage. Against fast moving Digimon like his enemies, they could use the wide open space of the dome to their advantage by standing on the sidelines. Unfortunately for them, he could see just as well in the dark as he could in the light. He just couldn't manipulate the shadows where there were none.

"Deadly Gaze!"

Yolei flinched when she saw red beams fly out from the center of the dome, illuminating Duskmon's body for just a fraction of a second in red light. The laser beams exploded against the wall he was aiming at and while it hadn't hit Silphymon, her partner caught sight of the birdman's foot.

"I wish I could see what was happening," she muttered.

Kouichi suddenly hissed in pain. "Ow!"

"What's wrong? What happened?" Relena whispered into the darkness. She reached out and touched her classmate's shoulder. She knew it was him because he was obviously taller than her so it ruled out Mako and she had been next to him when Silphymon dropped them off on the ledge. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Kouichi sighed. "I just cut my hand on something sharp."

Though no one could see, Mako was reaching around in the smallest pouch of his backpack before pulling out a keychain flashlight. He flicked it on but made sure to point it down to the floor so as not to alert Duskmon of their location and use his shadows to nab them. It was close enough to the ground to slightly illuminate their faces as the youngest pointed it towards a ninja shuriken of sorts.

"What's this doing here?" Mako wondered aloud.

Relena shrugged. "Maybe some Ninjamon and Kogamon were having a sparring match?"

Yolei looked back and let out a small gasp upon seeing the weapon shine from the light. She quickly crawled over to them and pulled out the projectile before crawling back. "Turn of the flashlight," she hissed. "We can't let him notice us."

"What are you doing?" Kouichi whispered.

"Just do it."

Yolei held up the ninja star as her mind flashbacked to October, after the events that had taken place at Rika's house. She had climbed onto the roof of the Nonaka household because she wanted to prove that she and her group of friends weren't just cheerleaders. So ever since that day, she had asked a favor of Shurimon, to teach her how to throw ninja stars. She kept a small pouch of the deadly weapons in her bag but they had gotten lost somehow when they landed in the Digital World. The throwing star she was holding, was it one of them?

"Static Force!"

From the top corner of Yolei's field of vision, a ball of hot energy flew down towards the center of the dome, implying that Duskmon hadn't moved from that spot. The whizzing of a blade through the air reached her ears as the energy-based attack exploded on contact with the weapon, temporarily sending sparks flying.

"Animal Nail!"

From behind the Warrior of Darkness, there was a small gleam of four little lights coming down on something. Duskmon turned and blocked the deadly claws of Pandamon and that's when Yolei saw her chance. In one second, the star was flying out of her hand and spinning through the air.

"Silphymon!" she yelled.

Her shout prevented Duskmon from hearing the sound of the weapon coming close behind him. Instead, he looked away from his foe and up at the bespectacled teenager above, not that he could see her in the first place. But as he turned around, the star wedged itself into his neck, exactly where Yolei had been hoping for.

"What!" he choked. He stumbled, falling over Pandamon who made an uppercut, right under Duskmon's chin and sending him soaring skywards. "I-Impossible!"

It would be. But Yolei's worked with computers and mainframes her whole life, every time she took it apart, she would do a quick once-over all the parts and automatically memorize where everything was. Not only that, but she was also a pro at taking inventory at her family's convenience store. Nothing was ever stolen because she knew exactly how much of everything was left when bought. And she always remembered their license plates and faces, just in case they ever needed to report a robbery.

So when the Static Force attack illuminated his body, she immediately took in his entire form, where every part of his body was, head, torso, neck, arms, legs, feet, etc. And in her mind's eye, she could visualize the way he turned, knowing where his neck would be depending on how he did it. If Yolei had to say one thing was her specialty, it was memory.

"Silphymon! Finish him!" Pandamon called out.

Yolei could remember it. Her partner's graceful form and every turn she made with her arms and waist as she charged up for her signature move. It was almost like a dance. Except if you didn't watch carefully, you'd miss it because it took only three seconds to perform.

"Static Force!"

The flash of light caused by the impact of the blast caused the humans to squeeze their eyes shut. When they opened them again, they could see a glowing data ring spinning around in midair. In the center of the ring was the silhouette of the corrupted Warrior, frozen. Kouichi patted around his waist for his D-Tector before Yolei handed it to him.

"I was still holding on to it," she grinned.

"Right," he chuckled before point it at the data ring. "Fractal Code Digitize."

As soon as the ring disappeared, the silhouette faded away, particles of black data flying upwards, but for just one moment, they believed they saw someone was left behind. It was a girl around their age, in dark purple clothes, violet hair, and goggles hanging around her neck, falling from where Duskmon was. A host?

Dracomon scraped along the ceiling and soon, light began filtering into the room once again, revealing the girl, unconscious, in the arms of Pandamon at the bottom of the dome. None of them recognized her; they had no idea who she was. But then the digivice that Relena had found started beeping erratically before a small, feminine voice rang out, bouncing along the walls.

"Sayo!" the voice said.

 **December 21: Bokomon's Mansion – 10:49 AM**

Henry and Kiriha soon came back into the large manor. The former was letting Kazemon use his shoulder for support while the latter carried Ken on his back and Wormmon on his head. They placed Ken on the bed beside Sayo, the former host of Duskmon.

"I'm glad everyone's okay," Kazemon chuckled. "Now I can feel better about turning back to normal."

The fairy Digimon became enveloped in a data cocoon and when it disappeared, all the guys quickly turned their heads while the girls covered their mouths and eyes bugged out. Bokomon had to turn both Neemon's and Mako's heads away though.

All of this succeeded in confusing the Italian before realizing that the acid rain had melted her clothes off a little, revealing much more skin that she would've liked. So with a tint of crimson to her cheeks, she yelped and ran into the adjoining room, the kitchen, where the other two girls quickly followed, bringing their friend's bag with her.

"What happened to your hair?" Yolei asked as Zoey changed clothes.

"Acid rain," Zoey grimaced, combing her fingers through her golden locks. Some strands were shorter than others while other parts of her hair were burned completely. "I'm going to need to buy more clothes and hit the salon when we go back home."

After Zoey had gotten a new shirt on, she was pushed down into a wooden chair and before she could do anything else, she saw a piece of her hair fall to the floor. She could hear a pair of scissors clipping away behind her head. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the girls were cutting her hair for her, trying to at least make it even.

"You guys don't have to," she started.

"Can I confess something to you?" Yolei interjected. "Zoey, when I first met you, I was really jealous because you're so beautiful and you hold your head so high. I told myself that you must be prissy but you proved me wrong there too when you got into a fight. I was envious of you."

"Envious?" Zoey blinked. She had no idea.

Yolei nodded. "It got to the point when I thought about shaving your head and maybe you'd look less pretty." For most people, they probably would've moved away from their hairdresser if she said that. But Zoey sat still, hands in her lap, listening carefully. "And then I saw your hair, after the effects of your battle with Ranamon, and I just thought, 'that doesn't suit her'. She deserves to be beautiful. And here I am, trying to make you super pretty again."

"You know…," Zoey giggled. "You're really pretty too, Yolei. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't envious of your smarts, your passion, your brutal honesty, and I heard from your partner about what you did. How much more awesome can you be? Throwing a ninja star like that?"

Relena watched this exchange between the two girls and she couldn't help smiling to herself. Yolei, standing behind the younger girl, couldn't see the smile that was on Zoey's face. And Zoey, facing away, was unable to see the smile on Yolei's face.

"Is there anything you're jealous of about me?" Relena decided to ask as a joke.

"Your wealth," the two girls responded automatically.

The rich girl fell out of her seat and onto her hands and knees, head down. "I see… So it's not a trait of mine you envy…"

The other two burst out laughing at the overreaction. "We're just kidding, Relena," Zoey laughed. "We envy your levelheadedness, that's one thing for sure. Yolei and I get way too fired up at the wrong times and we're well aware that we can get on people's nerves."

"It's true," Yolei nodded. "Not to mention, you're also gorgeous and super nice."

"Like you two aren't?" Relena giggled.

By the time the trio of girls reentered the living room, Ken and Sayo had both awoken. In the latter's bed was a small Digimon with a crescent shape on her forehead, their digivices identified her as Lunamon. Sayo was looking through her digivice and she was wondering where her Gatomon data was. Out of all the things to question, like why was she there, how did she get there, who were these strangers, but instead, she'd rather inquire about the data of a white cat which was now in Yolei's D-3.

Before they could question the mystery girl, everyone had to do a double take on Zoey. For a brief moment, they had believed that Sherry Birkin from Resident Evil showed up because her hair was cut that short. But it wasn't unflattering on her. As a matter of fact, it might've made her face even cuter than before.

"Sayo, can you tell us what happened to you? How you got here?" Henry broached cautiously.

"I'm from City," she said matter-of-factly. "The floating citadel filled with humans such as myself. Born and raised in the Digital World with both blood and data running through my veins from all my time spent here." The others were stunned except Bokomon who was bouncing up and down in excitement.

"I thought it was just an urban legend! To think City and humans that live in the Digital World are real!" the scholar said.

Lunamon seemed to looking all over Sayo for injuries. "We don't remember how we ended up here. I think we were on a mission to go exploring because after the worlds merged, we had no idea what the other versions of the Digital World had in store for us. City exists on Baihumon's world, on the hemisphere that was largely avoided by outsiders until a man names Marcus Damon showed up."

"Marcus?" they all gasped.

"So he even met other humans in his five years in the Digital World…," Kouichi breathed.

"He claimed to have been looking for a digital being by the name of Rhythm," Sayo continued. "And after befriending us, he asked us a favor. He asked us to look out for her and if we find her, to tell him. I went out searching for Rhythm to pay my debts to him."

"Your debts?"

"He saved my life," was all Sayo would say concerning about that.

There was a long moment of silence before Yolei finally decided to address a question that everyone else seemed to have ignored. "Um… Who's Rhythm?"

They all shrugged before looking over to Relena since she was the only person there from Marcus's team. Unfortunately, she was just as clueless as the rest of them were. According to Sayo though, Rhythm was supposedly a digital being that looked like a human, just like her. Though they were certainly human, through and through.

"Duskmon must've taken me as his vessel at some point during my travels," Sayo sighed. "I bet Dorothy and the others are really worried about me." She pulled out a communicator of sorts from her jacket pocket and dialed a number. After a few beeps, someone finally picked up. "Dorothy? Yeah, it's me…" Judging from Sayo's facial reactions to the words being said on the other line, there was apparently a lot of bad news. "The Demon Lords did what?!"

Zoey suddenly felt a chill run up her spine as her head jerked to look out the window. Her green irises widened at the sight of a tall building in the distance suddenly sinking into the ground. She could hear it all, terrified shrieks coming from all directions, massive structures being reduced the rubble, and hollowed places caving in on themselves.

"We have to get out of here!" the Warrior snapped at them. "Now!"

It was only when they were outside the town's limits that they could see what had Zoey so on edge. One by one, buildings were being crushed by the increased force of gravity and hundreds of civilians were evacuating with only the fur, feathers, or scales on their back to avoid the brush with death. The last thing to fall was the United Xros Heart Army's flag, flapping and falling with the rest of the debris. What was left, was nothing but flattened earth where Fire Terminal used to be.

A Gazimon, nearby, fell to his knees. "Our… Our home…"

"It's gone," a Poyomon whimpered.

A Pagumon turned to the Chosen Children with his red eyes slanted and wet, a frown set in his face. He tried hopping towards them with his ears flailing about wildly. "You guys were supposed to protect us and our home! We were supposed to count on you guys!"

A Gazimon held the little one back. "Stop that! Whether they were here or not, this still would've happened! Don't blame them for this tragedy!"

"It's okay," Zoey said to him.

"It's easier to blame someone than to feel hopeless," Sayo added, crossing her arms. "How does this sound? We'll take all the citizens to refugee camps."

"Refugee camps?" Kouichi repeated.

Sayo nodded. "According to Dorothy, City was demolished. But they've all been welcomed into the United Xros Heart Army's main base, King Shoutmon's Kingdom Town. We should be safe there for the time being. Then we can sort out everything that's been happening."

Despite the fact that they had only just met her, Sayo was already taking charge of the group. Instructing all the Digimon to follow her to a Trailmon station where they will wait for a cargo vehicle to take them to a safe haven. Since enemy Digimon would most likely target the humans, she told them that they would be making it to the Kingdom Townseparately, to ensure their safety en route.

As for Kiriha, he was looking at the crater that had been left behind. He bit down on his teeth and his hands were balled up into tight, shaking fists. Henry easily figured out what was going on through his schoolmate's head. Gravimon made it into Fire Terminal, regenerated, and destroyed it, crushing everything with his powers. In Kiriha's mind, this meant they failed. So he probably agreed with Pagumon even if the accusation was made in blind rage.

"There must've been casualties," Relena mentioned.

They glanced at her before looking back at the town to notice data particles floating upwards, slowly reconfiguring as they made their ways back to either the Tree of Beginnings or Primary Village. But suddenly, they got sucked in a completely different direction, shocking them all before they saw that it was being vacuumed into machine Digimon with a camera lens eye.

"What is that thing?" Yolei gasped.

"I've never seen any Digimon like that!" Sayo blinked.

Terriermon hopped off of Henry's shoulder. "It's absorbing the data! They'll never be reborn if it does that!" The rabbit Digimon was on the case before his partner could even stop him. "Take this, you glorified toaster! Terrier Tornado!"

The unknown creature spun around at Mach speed, smacking the Rookie away with one of its metallic flaps. Henry caught his falling partner and by then, the machine had already finished cleaning up the data so it flew off, faster than the naked eye could see. Everyone was left with their mouths agape and their bodies frozen. The silence was only broken by Relena.

"That was… a Gizumon…," she shook. "Professor Kurata's creation. They have the ability to permanently destroy any Digimon."

"Permanently?!" the others gasped.

"You mean my sister will never come back?"

"My parents were deleted in there!"

"I'll never see my best friend again?"

The devastated cries of the evacuated civilians reached the ears of the DigiDestined and they all couldn't help feeling responsible. If they had only acted faster, noticed the hiding Gizumon right after the destruction of Fire Terminal, then maybe they could've at least saved the souls of the dead Digimon. It's true that after rebirth, they probably won't remember their past life. But their bonds and connections usually live on so long as they keep coming back.

"In war, there are casualties," said Sayo.

"She's right, we can't let this hold us back," Kiriha agreed.

They may have sounded cold but there was no disagreeing with them. They were just going to have to try harder to prevent more deaths from occurring on their watch. It was their duty as DigiDestined to protect the worlds, after all. And that meant protecting everyone that inhabits those worlds as well.

 **September 21: Aokigahara Forest – 9:58 AM**

The suicide forest is supposedly filled with hanging men and women. And a rumor floats around from Japan to the rest of the world that once you enter, you are never able to leave. Tai and Matt, rash in their own ways, still have logic running through their veins. So despite the fact that they're only rumors and myths, they still felt chills running up their spines as they flew over it while on the back of Tagiru's Goldramon. The other two boys on the other hand, up front, were rubbing their hands in anticipation.

"They wanted to go to the Digital World and fight that badly, huh," Matt muttered.

"I guess so. But I wonder if they realize how serious this is. People are dying left and right," Tai sighed before freezing up. He hadn't meant to remind himself of that fact but forgetting about it didn't make it a false statement. "The only good thing is that there aren't any people in the forest so if anyone gets hurt, it'll be us or them."

"We can hear you!" Marcus called back.

Tai and Matt jolted from the sound of his voice. "Sorry!" They're used to throwing punches at each other, but this guy threw punches at twenty-foot tall dragon monsters. There was no way they planned on getting on his bad side and being punched right off their ride and plummet down to earth.

"Anyway, it's not like I'm excited to fight," Masaru sighed. "How do I put it…? It's more like a test that I thrive upon. The thrill of a brawl, the challenge it brings along. Fighting…" He flexes his fingers a couple of times. "…is a passion of mine. Like sports or music is for other people."

When he puts it that way, it's easy for the two younger males to understand his sentiment. Before either could apologize for referring to him as if he didn't understand how dire the situation was, Tagiru called them to attention. They were right above a cluster of dragon Digimon rampaging, running through the forest and towards the city.

"We have to stop them!" said Tai's Agumon.

"Then let's not waste any time!" Gabumon added.

Tai and Matt raised their digivices at the same time Marcus leapt off of Goldramon. Down below, Dorbickmon, leader of the Fire-Fury Army, looked up to see a falling human, coming down like a meteor. He raised his palm and blocked the fist that blasted itself into his palm, pushing him down into the ground which came as a surprise to him. No human should have that much power in his bare hands.

"Incoming!" Tagiru warned the remaining passengers as several Devidramon, Gigadramon, and Megadramon started flying in.

"Mega Claw!"

MetalGreymon looped his claw like a grappling hook around one of the Gigadramon while his partner hung onto his back. The dragon swung off from Goldramon's back and using his non-metallic claw, he expelled his Powerful Flame attack which burned down many of the flying menaces. Before landing on the ground, he let go and spinning in midair, released his Giga Destroyer attack from his chest, annihilating the Gigadramon he used to help him down.

"Garuru Kick!"

A Devidramon received the honor of receiving the werewolf's foot to his face, effectively deleting him before the partner Digimon somersaulted through the air, kicking down foes along the way. Once he was on the ground, Matt still clinging for dear life on his back, the wolf spun and slashed the opponents he dragged with him to pieces with his Wolf Claw attack.

"I think I might puke," Matt groaned.

"I told you it would be better to ride MetalGreymon down," WereGarurumon chuckled.

Back in the air, Goldramon vanished into the crimson X-Loader and was switched immediately with Arresterdramon who shot down to earth before making it directly in front of a DarkTyrannomon. "Mach Flicker!" In a blur, he sent dozens of invisible punches into the virus-loaded Digimon's skull, pushing him backwards and into a legion of Flarerizamon.

"What a nuisance," Dorbickmon snarled. "I didn't think that so much of my army could be destroyed by such a pitiful group of humans and traitorous Digimon. No wonder the Demon Lords advised me not to underestimate you puny creatures."

"Are those your last words? Because I'll make sure you swallow them whole!" Marcus smirked. "Agumon Realize! DNA Charge Overdrive!"

"Agumon Double Warp Digivolve to… ShineGreymon!" As soon as he finished evolving, he was right up in the Dark General's face with his fist charged up with glowing light energy. "Shine Hammer!" Unfortunately for him, it was blocked almost easily by Dorbickmon's claws.

"Do you really think you can underestimate a Dark General?" Dorbickmon growled.

 **Digital Analyzer:** Dorbickmon leads a multitude of dragons in his army in perfect order and he destroys his enemies with overwhelming battle strength, in any kind of combat situation. He excels in both power and speed and with his massive wealth of combat experience and intuition; he has the ability to adapt to any given situation. Because of his naturally violent personality, Dorbickmon likes to bring destruction wherever he goes and would even take pleasure in seeing the world be incinerated.

"With enemies like him, who needs the apocalypse?" Tai huffed.

"Marcus, Tagiru, we'll handle the lackeys!" Matt called out.

"Understood!" Marcus grinned, giving them a thumbs-up before turning back to his partner. "Let's do this ShineGreymon! It'll be good practice for when we go up against a Demon Lord again!"

"You got it! Sparkle Shoots!"

Bullets of light energy fired out from ShineGreymon's palms but to their surprise a wall was erected in between the two dragon Digimon, protecting Dorbickmon from the attack. Another wall rose out of the ground from ShineGreymon's behind and both began closing in on him, with the intention of crushing him into a sandwich. Luckily, the dragon spread his wings and flew skywards before getting flattened.

"Careful," Arresterdramon advised, flying in. "Dorbickmon can manipulate his surroundings any way he pleases! Flog Shot!"

Dorbickmon watched as this new opponent spun around with his tail anchor ready to cleave him to pieces. But the much larger dragon grabbed the spade as it was coming down on his head and with three quick rotations, flung Arresterdramon into a couple of trees, mowing them down.

"Shining Blast!"

Speaking of mowing things down, ShineGreymon was charging at the general with his wings shrouded in golden energy, leaving sparkles in his wake. If Dorbickmon couldn't dodge or block this attack, he would be chopped into two. But with a few stomps, the ground underneath Dorbickmon started rising until he stood upon a thick pillar which ShineGreymon crashed headfirst into. Unfortunately for the general, ShineGreymon was strong enough to just break the stone pillar, causing Dorbickmon to fall towards the ground.

"Alright!" Marcus cheered. Then Dorbickmon landed on his feet, safely. "Aw, man."

From one end of Dorbickmon's tightly balled up fist rushed out a blade made of fire. "Dragon's Fury Blade!" He kicked off the ground with so much force that he was practically gliding through the air, on his way to slice off ShineGreymon's wings.

"GeoGrey Sword!" Masaru shouted.

ShineGreymon fist broke through the earth underneath him and he pulled out a double-sided sword which he used to block his opponent's weapon. The two of them clashed like samurai on the battlefield, their blades brushing against each other as flickers of flames and golden sparks rained down to the soil they stood upon.

Arresterdramon soon came flying back to assist his comrade while entering Superior Mode. "Spin Caliber!" In a single revolution, he swung his super-sized tail blade but Dorbickmon evaded it easily by ducking under the attack. The Dark General then took advantage of taking on two opponents by slipping in between them and then ducking when they tried to cut him with their perspective weapons, unintentionally breaking each other's skin and spilling crimson data particles.

"The GeoGrey Sword can break Arresterdramon's specialized rubber armor?" Tagiru gasped.

"And that Tail Anchor sure does pack a punch," Marcus grimaced. "Come on you two! Show that wannabe what a real dragon can do!"

MetalGreymon stabbed a DarkTyrannomon through the chest with his metal claw while WereGarurumon smashed the finishing blow onto a Flarerizamon's head. They hadn't completely finished off the army they were up against but they figured the sooner they took down the leader, the easier it would be to finish off the underlings. But as they ran towards their comrades with the intent of helping them, they were intercepted by the rumbling ground and a colossal wall rising in between them.

Marcus and Tagiru fell to their knees as they suddenly found themselves trapped in a stone-made enclosure, keeping them in and everyone else out. On the outside, Tai and Matt gaped at the earthen structure that could probably be seen back in the city. For just a moment, Tai looked back towards Tokyo, eyes widening when he saw an eruption of fire in the distance.

"Dorbickmon, he's trying to burn everything down!" Tai gasped.

Matt turned around as well, in time to see the sea of trees get engulfed in flames. Some Flarerizamon or possibly another fire-breathing dragon must've slipped past them and set the forest ablaze. And it was spreading fast. Before long, the arsons responsible will make it to the skyscrapers and industrial buildings, bringing mass chaos along with them.

"Marcus! Tagiru! We're leaving him up to you guys!" Matt shouted.

"Don't underestimate him!" Tai added before running off.

The two teenagers ran into the flames with their partners following close behind. They both pulled out their digivices which had been installed with the same functions as the Tamers' D-Powers so a compass appeared. Granted, it wasn't a hologram and it wasn't as cool-looking, but it was practical, pointing them in the direction of Dorbickmon's other goons.

But as they stepped into the smoldering haze, they felt their feet sink into the ground. The four of them, humans and partners suddenly vanished into quicksand before they could even utter a scream for help. And no one was around to see them gone.

Back with Marcus and Tagiru, they were trying to get back on their feet but that was hard to do when it felt like they were standing on the ocean. The ground, inside the walls, were rippling like a lake on a rainy day. Actually, it was more of a hailstorm. Thankfully, both ShineGreymon and Arresterdramon could fly so they were unaffected by this manipulation of the earth but unfortunately, it moved Dorbickmon so much, that not even their trained warrior senses could predict his next move.

"I don't know if I should puke from motion sickness or be impressed that the bad guy is so balanced," Tagiru groaned as he finally gave up trying to stand up. "Marcus, do you think we should go into Superior Burst Mode?"

"That's our trump card," Marcus grumbled. "If the fusion breaks before we defeat Dorbickmon, we're done for. We should at least weaken him first."

That was obviously going to be a difficult task as ShineGreymon and Arresterdramon couldn't land a single blow on the bipedal dragon. To make matters worse, the ground was shooting up pillars to stab the two dragons, causing them to double over whenever they got jabbed in the stomach and then punched right in the face by Dorbickmon's scaly fist.

"I'll make you two an offer," Dorbickmon grinned as his foes fell to the rippling ground for the seventh time since the fight started. "If you abandon your partners and swear loyalty to the Fire-Fury Army, I will spare you and even give you parts of the Earth for you to govern."

"Ha! As if we would ever do that!" ShineGreymon grunted.

"You must be scared, Dorbickmon! Does this mean you don't think you can defeat us?" Arresterdramon chuckled.

"On the contrary, I'm sure I could destroy the two of you and your pathetic partners in just one go," Dorbickmon smirked. "But I'm always on the lookout for new members to join my army. And you two are very powerful dragons. I guess I was just fooling myself though. You two have already made your decision, albeit a stupid one. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to dispose of the two of you. Burning the Dragon!"

He stabbed the ground with a claw and suddenly, a tidal wave made of earth rose up in front of him and swallowed up his howling enemies. The wave kept going and there was definitely no way to dodge it as it approached the stationary humans. Was it over for them?

Well, that's what Dorbickmon believed when the wave exploded on contact with the wall he created, causing stones and mineral to rain from the sky. But in the debris stood ShineGreymon in Burst Mode, arms and legs splayed out as he stood firm. Behind him were the two humans, lying on their butts and looking up at their savior's back and Gumdramon, lying on his stomach.

"Damn it…," Gumdramon huffed. "Even after so long, I still can't beat him?"

ShineGreymon fell to one knee as his breath came out slow and shallow. "And here I thought this guy was the weakest of those Dark Generals."

Dorbickmon ignored the jab to his ego when he saw Gumdramon, recognizing the Digimon to be a former denizen of Dragon Land, the part of the world he once ruled two years ago. The little bugger was constantly getting on the nerves of his minions and getting in the way of their duties. Every time they tried to go after them, he would bash their skull with the hammer on the end of his tail and then start running off in another direction. He was always a menace, now Dorbickmon could get rid of him for good.

"The Wild Child of the Digital World! No wonder I recognized Arresterdramon's feisty attitude!" Dorbickmon laughed, the bass bouncing off the remaining three walls. "You know, I always wanted to delete you. It's two years late but it looks like I'm finally getting my wish."

"In your dreams!" Gumdramon scoffed. "I won't be beaten by the likes of you!"

"Gumdramon, you should rest," said Tagiru. "Let someone else handle this for now."

Before Tagiru could send his partner back into the X-Loader, Gumdramon sank into the ground to the point where only his head was out so that he could breathe. The hole he was trapped in suddenly started moving until it was right at Dorbickmon's feet. So that _Gumdramon_ , was right at Dorbickmon's feet.

"Gumdramon!" Tagiru shouted.

"Pee-yew! Have you thought about bathing anytime soon?" Gumdramon smirked.

Dorbickmon ignored the insult once again, raising his foot and lightly placing it on top of Gumdramon's head. If he wanted to, he could crush the rubbery Digimon right there, but he wanted to see the little guy beg for his life. "Listen here you little brat, if you admit to your inferiority, I might just let you live."

"Do you take me for a fool?" Gumdramon scoffed. "You'll kill me either way! I'd rather not throw away my pride along with my life."

"Marcus, what do we do?" Tagiru asked. "My partner will be destroyed at this point!"

Every time he went into battle, he was always excited. Even if it was for just one moment, he would be in the limelight, he would be the super star he always dreamed of being. A battle where there was going to be a loser and a winner, that got his blood running. It made his heart race. He always got excited because it was like a big game. Tagiru always knew the stakes, of course. But they never felt more real than they did at that moment.

For a while, Tagiru had assumed Marcus was the same. But there was something in the older boy that was different from him. It's true that a fight got the brawler's blood running too but in a fight, Marcus wasn't concerned over _who_ would come out on top. The sole focus on his mind was _being_ the one to come out on top. No matter what happened, Marcus had to win. Because the stakes were always real and in his face. Even when he smiles during battle because his partner got one good shot in, he's still thinking of the end result. The final blow. Who will deliver it?

In this case… Was it going to be Dorbickmon?

"You're panicking too much," Marcus hissed. "Take a moment to clear your head and think."

Tagiru took a deep breath and he thought about what more experienced Hunters would do. He'd never been in a situation like this one and while he's able to adapt to his situations fast, if things made it look like they were backed into a corner, then he sometimes thinks, 'What would a super star do?' In the case of his senior, Taiki, he would probably take advantage of the rules of the Hunt.

"MetalTyrannomon Reload!"

Gumdramon vanished right before Dorbickmon could crush him under his foot. A deep scowl formed on the dragon's face as he turned towards the mechanized Godzilla, who had his left arm raised and pointed at the Dark General's face. "Nuclear Laser!" An energy shell was fired out of the arm and exploded on contact with Dorbickmon leading to cheers from both Tagiru and Marcus.

"That won't be enough to finish him off! ShineGreymon, hit him with your best shot!" Marcus commanded.

"Right!" ShineGreymon nodded. "Final Shining Burst!"

The Mega Digimon charged forward, putting his entire body and soul into the attack as he disappeared into the dust cloud. The humans heard something solid smash into something else and then a massive eruption sounded through the forest, demolishing the remaining walls and smothering the air with ash and heat.

"Do you think that did it?" Tagiru asked.

"It better have," Marcus huffed.

ShineGreymon suddenly roared in pain and the boys looked at each other before deciding to run in there to find out what had happened. But just as they were a couple of steps behind the wall of smoke, ShineGreymon fell through, falling to the ground with an army of shadowy creatures crawling all over him. They were humanoid in shape but they didn't seem particularly solid. They also didn't have faces, just blank, white masks.

Dorbickmon's laughter snapped them out of their shock as he brushed away the remaining debris with a swing of his arm. "How do you like my new minions?" he cackled. "These are Voidlings! Creations that feed off of negative emotions to grow! They are unaffected by the powers of ordinary Digimon and human beings so you can't defeat them!"

"We'll see about that," Marcus growled.

He ran forward and threw a punch at a Voidling that was on his partner's head. But his fist passed right through the unknown creature. Unfortunately for him, the Voidlings could still touch him as evident by how they turned around and slashed at Marcus with their hands. It tore through his jacket and his shirt, staining them with his blood.

"Marcus!" Tagiru gasped.

"What are these things?" ShineGreymon groaned.

Marcus took his hand off his chest to find that it stunk of iron and wet with his blood. From his dirtied palm, he glanced up at the creature that had swiped at him, to find a shining blade where the monster's hand should be. It was like the shadows that were there peeled back to reveal the lethal weapon underneath.

"I don't know," Marcus huffed before a smug grin appeared on his face. "But I bet I can touch that knife at the very least. It's fighting time!" He clapped his hands over the flat sides of the knife and while none of his kicks could do any damage to the Voidling itself, he used all of his strength to start swinging the creature, using it as the weapon to smack down its allies.

"You're starting to get on my nerves!" Dorbickmon snarled. "Dragon Infernal Fire!"

"Marcus! Get out of the way!" ShineGreymon shouted.

Marcus kept spinning with his living weapon. "Not until I save you first!"

The blaze could've enveloped them and roasted them alive if MetalTyrannomon hadn't stepped in to take on the attack himself. Tagiru watched as the front of his partner was being burned alive and pieces of metal were starting to melt, falling to the ground in a puddle of steam and lava. MetalTyrannomon was the first Digimon that Tagiru ever Hunted and while the big guy could never communicate with him coherently, Tagiru always saw him as his friend. But now he was watching as his friend fell apart, protecting them.

"MetalTyrannomon!" Tagiru shouted over the roar of the flames. "Stop this! You're going to kill yourself!"

The cyborg dragon smiled and a piece of metal, right underneath his right eye, melted, falling to the forest floor. The heat finally passed and the rest of MetalTyrannomon was sagging as he fell to his knees and let out a weak roar.

Dorbickmon seemed stunned because the foe he had burned looked absolutely grotesque with half him being in puddles. "To protect your partner… you'd go so far?"

The beast didn't speak, he just made a couple of growling noises and ShineGreymon, who finally got away from the Voidlings, translated the words. "Of course… Tagiru… is my friend."

The Hunter ran right through the crowd of Voidlings, taking scratches from their hidden knives until he made it to his partner's leg. A drop of melted metal fell onto his arm and it singed him, leaving a burn mark in his skin but he didn't care. He just reached over and hugged MetalTyrannomon's leg, wincing from the heat.

As metal droplets fell down, data floated up, and Tagiru could feel the waterworks coming on. His shaky hand tried to return MetalTyrannomon back into the X-Loader but it didn't work. Even when Gumdramon jumped out of the device to force the behemoth back, it didn't work. It was already too late for him.

"No… MetalTyrannomon, please don't go," Tagiru choked. "This can't happen! Not to you!"

MetalTyrannomon rumbled and Tagiru looked up to see his partner's face looking down on him. "Ta… gi… ru." His first and only ever Japanese word. And with that, he exploded into a flurry of data, making Tagiru fall to his hands and knees as he tried to grasp the last solid pieces of his fallen friend.

"Dorbickmon…," Gumdramon hissed. "You'll pay!"

He and Tagiru tried to lunge at the Dark General but they were held back by Voidlings. The shadowy creatures had all of them held down now and no matter how much they struggled, they just couldn't break out of the living prison cells. So all they could do was scream profanities and insults at Dorbickmon as MetalTyrannomon's data continued to float away.

-X-

 **Duskmon's been defeated and Zoey's got a new hairdo. But things are looking bleak as Fire Terminal has been leveled to the ground and none of the casualties will be reborn thanks to Gizumon. To make matters even worse, Tagiru just lost one of his partners to the Dark General, Dorbickmon. How will he and Marcus get out of this one? And just what happened to Tai, Matt, and their partners? Find out next time on, Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **Dark stuff. Don't forget to ask our cast a question if you have one you want answered and even if you don't have a query, be sure to leave a review telling me how you felt about this chapter. I hope to catch you guys in the next one. See you!**


	11. Courage and Friendship

**Zero Unit:** Ah, so today, we have a question from a fan. They're wondering how the Adventure gang is reacting to Tri. And since this technically involves the 02 gang, we'll ask them as well. But we'll be doing this in two parts. So… guys? What do you think about Tri?

 **Tai:** *Slams hands on table* Why am I having so many doubts?! Of course I'm doing the right thing by fighting!

 **Mimi:** And I am not nearly as egocentric as they portrayed me in the show. *Silence* This is the part where you guys are supposed to agree with me.

 **Joe:** No.

 **Izzy:** Definitely not.

 **Zoey:** You guys can't even make it sound believable.

 **Sora:** Well, there isn't much on my character except that they seem to have reignited that stupid love triangle. There's nothing wrong with Tai, Matt, and I all being friends. Why must everything need to be "shipped" and turned into "pairings"?

 **Ryouma:** Because the fans love it. I'm sure many fans are going crazy over the fact that Tai and Matt were in the sauna together alone for who knows how long. And the fact that they rode to the Ogremon VS Togemon battle on the same scooter, one probably holding on tightly to the others. Is there something you boys aren't telling us?

 **Hideaki:** Ryouma… by any chance… are you a fudanshi?

 **Airu:** Forget that! I want to know more about Izzy's crush on Mimi! Do you return the feelings?

 **Mimi:** Not even a little!

 **Izzy:** I know it's not true since we're separate from the Tri characters but that actually hurts.

 **Joe:** I just want to know why my character forgot something so important. Then again… *Glances at the piles of homework that he was recently assigned* Being a Chosen Child really has put a real burden on my studies.

 **Leomon:** I want to know why my species seems to keep dying. _I_ even died and I'm a partnered Digimon.

 **Zero Unit:** Trust me, Jeri's Leomon, no one wants to know that more than I do. You're my favorite Digimon, especially with your *Censored* and *Censored* ...What? Don't you dare look at me like that! Anyway, we will have the 02 gang's reactions next time but for now, enjoy the newest chapter! No seriously, guys, there is no need to kink shame me with your eyeballs and facial expressions.

-X-

 **December 21: Hell – 10:17 AM**

When Tai came to, he felt like he was inside the dragon's den and the beast was breathing down his back, making his spine melt. As he pushed himself up, he found that his throat had been replaced with sandpaper and every breath he took was like a full-body workout, inhaling in ash and dust.

"Matt?" he croaked out weakly. "Where are you?" Where was _he_?

Tai stripped off his winter coat and scarf but it still wasn't enough to cool him down. The flames that flickered around him, surrounding him from all sides was enough to make him sweat waterfalls down his face. So he ended up removing his shirt as well, tying it around his waist, and rolling up his pant legs.

A low voice called out from afar. "Tai? Where are you?"

"MetalGreymon!" Tai gasped though it came out as constrained as his breathing. "I'm here!"

He started walking towards the voice, unintentionally remembering the last time he was in a dark place and heading towards his Ultimate level partner. The semi-mechanical dragon's skin had started melting and his voice became distorted and it wasn't until Tai turned back around to run away that the skeleton, the monster, inside was showing.

"Snap out of it," Tai told himself. "That was just an illusion that SkullBaluchimon gave you to throw you off. You're better than this."

The young man pressed his palm against his chest and felt how rapid his heartbeat was. He then moved it over to the sun-shaped necklace hanging around his neck, rubbing his thumb over the sharp rays. Could someone this scared really say that they were the bearer of courage?

"Tai?" someone called.

The Chosen Child's head shot up. He recognized that voice! "Rinchei?" he murmured before raising his voice. "Rinchei? Is that you?"

"Tai…"

From in between the dancing flames, Rinchei appeared and never before had he ever seen so terrified. The leader of the DigiDestined attempted to reach for the older boy but he was blocked off by some other people around his age or older. They were his former schoolmates, and the same ones that had always bullied Rinchei. They were the same ones that held up one of his manga works and wrote insults on the covers.

"Rinchei!" Tai called out.

The boy had to have been a delusion, a fake, something that was created to throw Tai off again. But he looked so real. And the bullies that kept pushing Tai back felt real. And Rinchei's desperate plea for help as he was grabbed by the hair and yanked away into the flames sounded so real. How could any of this be fake?

"My… My heads just playing tricks on me," Tai shook.

"Big brother!" someone suddenly shrieked, causing a chill to run down the boy's spine. "Help me!"

Tai shot back up to his feet and started running in the direction of the mortified scream. He knew this was all some sort of elaborate illusion but everything felt so authentic. "Kari!" he shouted into the flames. "Where are you?!"

He found his sister on the floor, her hands trying to keep her from being dragged into a dark pool of water where shadowy hands were trying to pull her in. When the brunette looked up, Tai felt his heart stop for a moment. Kari's eyes were wide in fear, tears spilling out of them and she bit down on her lower lip, breaking skin and causing her to bleed.

"Our queen…," one of the creatures bemoaned.

"Join us in the darkness," another said.

"Let go of her!" Tai snapped as he tried to grab her but fell over instead. His forehead smashed into the ground, disorienting himfor a moment but when it cleared, he realized that it was one of those Dark Ocean goons that had grabbed onto his ankle. They were keeping him from saving his sister. "Kari! Grab my hand!"

"Tai! I'm scared!" she cried out.

"Grab my hand!"

"I-I can't reach!"

Kari was getting farther and farther away from him and it wasn't long before she was waist deep into the pool. Tai kept shouting and trying to claw his way over to her but by the time the hand on his ankle let go, his hands could only grab the smoky air.

"Kari…," he said softly, tears streaming from his eyes. "Rinchei… What more… can happen in this hell?"

"Dark Shot!"

There was an explosion from behind and a giant object flying overhead, crashing down in front of him. Tai knew whose signature that was, and he knew what the battered and bruised creature lying motionless in front of him was. There's the distorted cackling from behind and the unsettling sound of nothing in front of him. There were the slow but purposeful steps behind and the nauseating smell of burnt skin in front.

"Metal… Greymon…," Tai whispered.

Please let him wake up from this nightmare. He couldn't take anymore. Visions flew past his eyes of his friends hanging from nooses, of his parents getting into a brutal car crash, of the Digital World being enslaved by the Demon Lords, and of his planet slowly crumbling into pieces and floating away into the never-ending void that is silent space.

"Somebody… somebody wake me up," Tai sobbed. When was the last time he cried like this? He couldn't remember. He just knew that the dragon was now breathing down his back, a bony claw slowly reaching down to pick up the boy. "Please…"

"Giga Blaster!" "Wolf Claw!"

Tai looked up in time to see his partner standing next to the fallen illusion, the chest that hid his artillery open. And from above, WereGarurumon landed beside him with a concerned expression on his face. The SkullGreymon from behind was nothing but raining data around him. No egg was left behind though.

"Tai!" said MetalGreymon, running to his partner. "I'm glad you're okay."

The boy pushed himself onto his feet and hugged his partner's leg, letting the tears run down the dragon's skin. "I'm glad you're okay too!" What sort of monster could do something so cruel to them? "Where's Matt?"

"We're looking for him," WereGarurumon answered as he sniffed the air. "If he's experiencing the same thing you are, then that won't be good. This pocket dimension is obviously a place designed to make people suffer and break them."

"Then we need to find him quick," said Tai. "And some water."

It didn't take long for them to figure out where Matt was when they heard him shout. "TK!" That meant he was being tricked by whoever made this sub-dimension and what he was seeing involved his brother getting hurt in some way.

"I will now show you another trick," a new voice cackled. "It's called, how much skin can I peel off of your brother before he dies?"

"That's Piedmon's voice!" MetalGreymon growled.

WereGarurumon took off like a rocket and the other two followed, finding Matt shackled to a chair as he was being forced to watch a passed out TK, strapped to a spinning wheel, bleed. The Dark Master they defeated seven years ago stood in front of the wheel, turning it with his left hand while spinning a knife in his other hand.

"Let go of him!" Matt screamed hysterically.

"Oh, but you must watch his head dangle from side to side!" Piedmon laughed. "It's quite the mesmerizing show!"

WereGarurumon suddenly tackled the clown down while Tai went to free his friend from the chair. MetalGreymon charged in to assist the werewolf and with their combined attacks, they were able to crush the Mega easily. That meant he really was a hallucination if he was defeated just like that. They had a rough time even when they were one level higher.

Once Matt was free from his chains, he tried to run towards his unconscious brother but Tai stopped him.

"That's not the real TK!" Tai snapped. "If you go up to him touch him, it'll only do worse things to your head."

Matt knew his best friend was right so instead, he turned away from the sight of his brother and vomited onto the floor. Tai rubbed circles into Matt's back as he continued retching with the Digimon waiting for them to come back to them. When the blond had finished emptying out his stomach, he fell to his butt.

"That didn't do much to help my thirst…," he muttered.

"Come on, let's find an exit out of this place," Tai huffed.

The group were about to start on their trek out of there when someone stepped out in front of them. It was a golden, dragon-like creature not much larger than MetalGreymon's lower half with three eyes on each side of his face and six spikes on his back. Every time he exhaled, he released a heatwave from his mouth that made the boys wish for nothing more than an air conditioned room.

"You must be the one that sent us down here!" Matt snapped.

 **Digital Analyzer:** Huanglongmon is the Digimon Sovereign enshrined in the Center. He is thought to be the ruler of the entire world but was sealed underground because of Lucemon and the other Demon Lords. This being is known to embody both goodness and complete evil. Its gigantic body is covered in scales of the special Huanglong Ore which boasts absolute hardness. Thus, inflicting even a single wound upon him is impossible.

"A… Sovereign?" Tai whispered.

"So… does that mean he's on our side?" MetalGreymon asked.

WereGarurumon shook his head. "You heard the encyclopedia; he is both good and evil. Although if it were the Demon Lords that sealed him away, I would assume that they are his enemy. But do you remember what Gumdramon said?"

"Dorbickmon's right hand Digimon is a creature known as Huanglongmon," Matt recited. "But how do we beat something like that?"

The group got into defensive positions as they watched the dragon take a step forward. "I do not have the power to defeat you now," the creature told them ominously. "So you must settle for one of our reconstructions."

Tai frowned. "Reconstructions?"

From the flames ahead, an armored warrior approached them with his blue cape flapping in all directions. He was about the height of Omnimon and exuded the aura that he had just about as much strength, possibly more. Even though this was the first time they had ever met this Digimon, they knew exactly who he was.

 **Digital Analyzer:** Despite being one of the Royal Knights, Alphamon is given the empty seat amongst his fellow warriors as he appears at abnormal times. It is also said that he is a being similar to a deterrent force. Another rumor surrounding this mysterious Digimon is that it is impossible to count the number of hits he makes in an instant and that his opponents are only able to see the final blow that crushes them. Alphamon can also produce a magic circle of DigiCode from his hands to perform his offensive and defensive attacks.

Matt swallowed. "This guy looks like bad news."

"Wait, a Royal Knight?" WereGarurumon growled. "That's impossible! They were all destroyed by the Demon Lords!"

Huanglongmon laughed as he started sinking into the ground. "And with Apocalymon's help, they reconstructed the Royal Knights, each and every one of them so that they will obey me, their Sovereign. After all, they don't listen to anyone else. But they've lost the ability to be reborn, so I hope you enjoy taking his life or getting destroyed!" With that, he was gone.

"We have to destroy–?"

Alphamon suddenly threw four punches and they didn't see any of them. But they did feel them as all four of them were sent soaring through the air and through the flames that burned their skin as they passed by. When they finally landed, there was Alphamon waiting for them again and he swung his leg in a powerful arc, the shockwave being enough to send them flying backwards again.

Tai and Matt would've gotten seriously injured if MetalGreymon didn't keep them safe. Not that he was in a better position seeing as when they crashed this time, his wings were crushed beneath his heavy body, bent at an unnatural angle.

"This guy…," WereGarurumon coughed. "How do we beat him?"

"We need to DNA Digivolve," MetalGreymon huffed.

But how? They had lost their ability to DNA Digivolve after Armageddemon's first appearance. It might be possible given the right circumstances and perhaps the help from all their friends but here, they couldn't even reach the Mega level. How were they supposed to be beat a Royal Knight as they were now?

Alphamon approached them, drawing out his Divine Sword Grade Alpha, a weapon that looked like it could slice the Earth in two. The Digimon stood firm between the enemy and their partners, arms splayed out in an act of protection but they knew that if his swordsmanship was even half as good as his close quarter combat skills, then they would be slaughtered on the spot. This was essentially their last act of defiance because if they just submitted to their deaths peacefully, the world would lose hope.

"We have to… keep fighting," Tai wheezed.

"For our friends, and this world," Matt agreed.

The two of them tried to push themselves up but only succeeded in falling back down to the ground. The first punches that had been thrown at them were already enough to leave their knees buckling and their hearts pounding. They couldn't even stand up!

Alphamon raised his weapon as the two Ultimates attempted to break through his armor with their claws, only to land back on the hot ground on their butts. So the best they could do was turn around and shield their partners, their backs facing their executioner. And as the four of them shut their eyes, they couldn't help speaking their last words of love from human to Digimon.

"I won't run if you won't," said Tai.

"I couldn't leave you if I tried," MetalGreymon returned.

"You're my best friend," Matt whispered.

"And you were always mine," WereGarurumon replied.

A magic circle appeared over the backs of the Digimon and with a wild swing, Alphamon cut into his own arm. The boys, facing forward, were stunned at the sight of Alphamon's data breaking apart as the Royal Knight fell to his knees. He was shouting out in agony and the only words they could make out was that he was telling them to run.

"I… I c-can't hold b-back!" Alphamon screamed. "R-Run! Chosen Children! W… We can't let you d-d-die!" It was like they were watching two Alphamon fighting each other, one that was breaking apart and another that was stable. Was it possible that the spirit of the original Royal Knight was trying to save them?

"No," Tai gasped. "There must be some way for us to save you too!"

Alphamon shook his head. "It's impossible! D-Don't b-b-be… fools! Just run!"

Being reconstructed from scratch would mean that none of his past life's personality or memories would remain if it were up to the Demon Lords. Either that or it was buried deep into his conscious. But if so, what dug it back up? Matt had a theory.

"We won't abandon a friend," he said. "That's just not our thing."

"A f-friend?" Alphamon shook.

Matt nodded. "To be honest, we heard Kudamon talking to our partners one day." The dragon and wolf Digimon both looked up with wide eyes. "And he told them and Veemon that the Royal Knights, Omnimon and Magnamon were one-of-a-kind Digimon. Our partners, they're your friend and fellow Knight, right?"

After the disappearance of the founder, Imperialdramon Paladin Mode, the leader of the Royal Knights became Omnimon. However, the enemies that threatened the Digital World grew in power and found ways to prevent the mightiest of Digimon to fight back. So the Sovereigns, when they brought humans to the Digital World to become saviors, they asked the leader, what he wanted to do.

" _Why must the other Royal Knights be so close-minded?" one of Ebonwumon's heads complained._

" _They're all acting like you, Zhuqiaomon!" added the other head._

 _The phoenix Sovereign spread out his wings and glared at the two-headed tortoise with all six of his eyes. "Do you want to get on my bad side, old man, is that what you want? Humans can't be trusted! They have a history of war and selfishness!"_

" _No one is denying that, Zhuqiaomon," Azulongmon chided. "But just like Digimon, there are humans that are capable of great good."_

" _Do you not remember the first humans?" Zhuqiaomon continued. "Hikaru and Kurogane! It's true that they brought along great things for us, they made us understand emotion and help us get stronger, but they introduced sins and destruction to us as well. Is that what you want? You want to bring another great war?"_

" _None of us have that intention, feathered brat!" Baihumon snarled._

 _Omnimon sighed, amazed that these four could get anything done when all they did was argue most of the time. "If I may, I think Zhuqiaomon's worries are not completely unfounded. To be completely honest, I'm not completely sure if we can trust humans either but as of right now, we don't have much of a choice. So I have a favor to ask of you." He had their attention now. "I wish to be dismissed from the Knights to be a partnered Digimon."_

" _I won't allow it!" Zhuqiaomon bellowed, releasing a shout that shook the heavens. Quite literally as tremors were somehow sent through the clouds they stood upon. "You want us to appoint a new leader of the Royal Knights so soon? Am I the only sane one here?"_

" _Please here me out," the Royal Knight continued. "I won't be dismissed permanently, I will still return if you or Lord Drasil need me. I just wish to be close to the humans to keep an eye on them. Make sure that they are fulfilling their duties as Chosen Children. I've already spoken with an entity named Homeostasis, she says that she knows a way she can make me a partnered Digimon. She says that I won't remember my life as a Royal Knight but that I should still be able to respond to your calls."_

" _How do we know we can trust her?" Baihumon frowned._

 _Omnimon took a moment to think about this. "_ _I_ _trust her… All you need to do is trust me."_

After he left, Omnimon entrusted Alphamon to look after the Knights but the other warrior was enraged at the fact that Omnimon could abandon his duties. He made himself scarce, no one could ever say that they saw Alphamon for more than a day, thus making him the empty seat.

Gallantmon and UlforceVeedramon ended up splitting the leadership duties between them but they weren't nearly as charismatic as their predecessors. It wasn't long before Dynasmon and Crusadermon decided to do their own thing, succumbing to the sweet temptations of Lucemon after their defeat at the hands of the Data Squad. And Magnamon completely vanished after Lord Drasil proved to be an enemy, later encasing himself in the Digi-Egg of Courage.

The remaining Royal Knights became adventurers, sojourning the Digital World in search of something they weren't sure of. Only Craniamon remained with the two regents, only to become the first targets when the Demon Lords were revived.

"Alphamon… You have every right to destroy us," MetalGreymon huffed.

"Because of us, the Royal Knights fell apart," WereGarurumon agreed. "We are failures."

Alphamon chuckled humorlessly. "Don't be stupid. I watched everything, you know." He pressed his forehead to the ground so he wouldn't have to look up and it was easier to resist the torment that his body was going through this way. "I saw how the humans protect our world again and again. And the bonds you created. To be honest… I was jealous."

"Jealous?"

"Yeah," Alphamon nodded. "Now, stop playing around and destroy me already! If you won't abandon me then at least stop me from being a monster! If you let me go, the Demon Lords will force me to take innocent lives… So please… old friend."

During this exchange, Tai and Matt had been feeling something warm budding in their chests. And when their partners looked back to the humans, eyes asking for the power to take on a Royal Knight, they knew that they had to give it to their partners. MetalGreymon returned to being Agumon and WereGarurumon degenerated to Gabumon at the same time Alphamon stood back up, having lost control, he was back to being a simple reconstruction.

The two teenager shouted together. "Now!"

"Divine Sword Grade Alpha!"

"Agumon Warp Digivolve to… WarGreymon!" "Gabumon Warp Digivolve to… MetalGarurumon!"

The new Mega Digimon took their partners and flew out of the way as the sword made a fissure in the ground underneath them. Once they made it a safe distance, they let go of the humans only to find shadowy creatures coming out of the flames. They didn't look like illusions but who could really say anymore?

"Voidlings?" WarGreymon gasped.

"Void-what?" Tai frowned.

"We'll explain later," said MetalGarurumon. "But just know that you can't take them on without using the DigiSoul. The passion that you two have should be enough to bring it out but you have to get rid of the things inhibiting you."

"And what's that?" asked Matt.

The Royal Knight was charging towards them so their partners had no time to tell them as they shot forward, distracting the Warrior to keep him away from the humans. This left Tai and Matt on their own against the Voidlings, not that they knew how to fight them as they tried to hit and just passed through them.

But when they passed through the creatures, they felt a sudden fear, the same that they had felt when they were being forced to endure the tortures in this hell. Was it possible that these creatures were made from those feelings when they saw their friends and family members die in front of their eyes?

"We've got to keep trying," Tai huffed.

"And how do we do that?" Matt inquired.

A couple of the Voidlings pointed their hands at the boys, the blackness peeling back and revealing firearms which shot several glowing bullets at them. The humans had to tumble out of the way in opposite directions.

"We have to get rid of our inhibitions! The things that keep us from fully reactivating our crests!" Tai explained. He tried to continue running, only to find himself limping due to his soccer injury. "And it's easier to see the inhibitions in each other!"

"Grace Cross Freezer!" "Great Tornado!"

A multitude of missiles fired out, spinning in a massive tornado as they made a high-speed approach towards Alphamon. The Royal Knight shrouded himself in his mantle, disappearing and making a reappearance behind the two Mega Digimon. He then swung his blade down at them, only to have it get blocked by WarGreymon's Brave Shield.

"Metal Wolf Claw!"

WarGreymon broke off from the warrior so that the mechanical wolf could freeze the Digimon from top to bottom, keeping him completely immobile. This attack usually also freezes all the vital organs in a foe's body but Alphamon was much too strong for that to happen, especially with his armor. But this also meant that he wouldn't be encased in ice forever.

"Forgive me, friend," said WarGreymon as he made a giant sphere of blazing energy over his head. "Terra Force!"

Unfortunately for them, Alphamon broke out of the ice just a second before the attack reached him. The armored foe then took to the air and creating hundreds of magical circles that covered the sky, unleashed a hailstorm of energy bullets.

"Damn it! Start moving!" MetalGarurumon growled.

"Right!" WarGreymon nodded.

The pair started weaving through the storm but the attacks were fast, making small cracks and crevices appear in their armor. It wasn't long before Alphamon targeted them directly, knocking the two of them through the raging flames with a powerful backhand. Both WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon ended up crash landing but unlike before, they got up quickly in order to avoid getting another hit from their enemy.

As for Tai and Matt, they were running through the volcanic sauna, attempting to avoid the blasts that the Voidlings were attacking them with. Some even had knives under their black skin and when they came close, they nearly cut the boys.

"Matt!" Tai huffed, losing breath. "What's that attached to your belt?"

The blond didn't stop running but he did glance down and notice twin pistols attached to his hips. Since firearms are banned in Japan, this was his first time ever seeing these weapons in real life. But there was something peculiar about them. When he touched them, the metal was cold, which wouldn't be unusual if they weren't where they were.

"Did… MetalGarurumon give these to me?" Matt wondered aloud before noticing something on Tai. "Your arms!"

"Huh?" Tai blinked before looking down at his forearms. Golden gauntlets were strapped onto there, similar to WarGreymon's own armor. Not only that but when he put them together, the symbol for the crest of courage appeared on them. "When did they…?"

A Voidling jumped out in front of them and they quickly threw a punch at it out of instinct. Just as they expected, their fists passed right through the creature but they could feel less fear. And to their surprise, small sparks of orange and blue data was emerging from their hands.

"Tai, you keep hesitating," Matt suddenly said as he drew his weapons and aimed at the Voidlings. "That soccer injury you got healed already! Your leg is fine! But you're so scared of getting hurt again that you keep limping!"

"What was that?!" Tai blanched angrily as he blocked some bullets with his gauntlets. "You're the one scared, man. You break up with Sora and you don't want to try being friends anymore? You hardly talk, awkwardly interact, and the rest of us are tired of playing the middlemen for you guys!"

"Sh-Shut up! Like you know what I'm going through!" Matt snapped, pulling the trigger. The blasts were actually able to hit a few of the Voidlings. "Of course I want to keep being friends with Sora but…"

"Forget the 'but'!" Tai interjected.

"Fine, how about this?" Matt grumbled.

The two of them were back to back as they used their weapons to deflect and protect themselves from the Voidlings. And when the shadowy creatures got close, they became enveloped in their DigiSouls as they punched and kicked out the humanoid monsters.

"I'll play soccer again after this!" Tai huffed, using his healed leg to knock out one of the Voidlings.

"And I'll talk to Sora again!" Matt added, butting heads with one of the creatures and shattering the white mask.

"Only if you do what _you_ promise!" they shouted at each other.

WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon lunged forward once more, both becoming lights that spiraled towards Alphamon who blocked it with a defensive magic circle. But when the two lights hit the Royal Knight, they had merged together, blinding everyone in the vicinity. And suddenly, they found themselves back in Aokigahara Forest, surrounded by flaming trees. But where Alphamon stood, was Omnimon.

"He… DNA Digivolved…," Tai huffed.

"A… Amazing," Matt coughed though he was grinning.

Who would've thought that the entire area was an illusion? Well, aside from the heat. Tai and Matt returned their focus to taking out the Voidlings while their combined partner clashed blades with Alphamon. A news helicopter was hanging over them, probably recording the fire, but when the two Royal Knights appeared, the cameras were suddenly pointed at the warriors.

"Tai! Matt!" someone called.

"Yushima?" they blinked when they saw the old man running towards them.

The balding man stopped when he made it to them, trying to catch his breath after taking in the sight of two powerful Digimon stuck in a brawl. "My partner's leading a group of firefighters to wash the flames but we need to get that helicopter out of the way. We called in some backup but he can't make an appearance with the paparazzi up there."

Tai glanced up at the flying vehicle before turning to the older man. "Can you bring your partner over here?"

While Matt focused on blasting Voidlings with his firearms, Shawjamon was being asked to throw Tai into the open door of the helicopter. Obviously, it sounded absolutely ludicrous and reckless to just toss a human boy into a moving vehicle in the sky but Tai wanted to put out the fire as soon as possible. So Yushima came up with another idea before his partner could go through with it.

"You ready, Tai?" Yushima asked.

"Whenever you are," was Tai's response.

The old man nodded towards his partner. "Shawjamon, now!"

The aquatic Digimon spun his staff around before slamming it into the ground. "Kouyoujou: Whirlpool Formation!" A water spout from under Tai's feet began to emerge, making the Chosen Child rise into the sky. Without looking down, he leapt from the geyser and landed in the helicopter, causing the news reporter and the cameraman to scream in fright.

"Th… That was dangerous!" the reporter screeched.

Tai ignored her and went up to the pilot. "Can you please get out of the way? A friend of mine is going to be putting out the fire but he can't do that with this chopper in the way."

The reporter pouted, puffing out her cheeks, as she tapped on Tai's shoulder. "Excuse me, we're trying to make a story here."

"And _we're_ trying to protect lives," Tai countered, effectively shutting her up and making her red with embarrassment. As the chopper started making its way back to Tokyo, Tai turned on his earpiece to communicate with Yushima. "All clear."

Yushima, back on the ground, nodded as he pressed a button to talk to an auxiliary Tamer waiting on the edge of Aokigahara Forest. "Hibiki, you're all clear. Let's not waste any more time than we already have."

Tai watched as a pair of Whamon suddenly floated into the sky with two smaller Digimon on their backs. He received an explanation from Yushima which was that there were two Tamers using a Levitate Modify card to help the giant mammals fly. As for where the Whamon came from, they had claimed that they were friends of the Chosen Children.

"Whamon!" Tai called out while the reporter and cameraman stood shell-shocked. "Are you the one I know?"

"You protected my home, Tai," Whamon chuckled, bringing a big smile to Tai's face. "Now allow me to return the favor! Blasting Spout!" Both of the Whamon shot water from their blowholes, straight into the sky which began to rain down like a fountain, slowly but surely putting out the flames.

"A rainbow…," Tai gasped.

Matt's voice came through the earpiece. " _Hey, Tai, I'm glad you're enjoying the view but our partners need our support now._ "

"I know, Matt," Tai chuckled before looking down at the Royal Knights. "But I'm sure they'll win. But I _am_ worried about Marcus and Tagiru, Dorbickmon doesn't exactly look like he'll be an easy foe to defeat."

" _Yeah…_ "

"Double Shot!" Omnimon pointed both of his hands at his opponent, firing out blasts of extreme heat and cold in quick succession. But both were blocked easily by a magic circle that Alphamon created to shield him. "Omni Blast!"

Alphamon's eyes widened when he saw dark clouds appear over his head and a bolt of lightning come down on him. He quickly raised his arm, hand splayed out, and produced another circle which defended him from above. But that left his attention to the front vacant as Omnimon shot forward, shattering the other circle with his Transcendent Sword.

"Curse you!" Alphamon snarled.

"Ultimate Uppercut!"

Using his Grey Sword, he blasted the caped warrior into the sky where the Omni Blast was still in effect so he was being attacked from the back while his front was exposed to the Garuru Cannon, liberally expelling bullets.

Shawjamon carried his partner away from the Voidlings. "Did he get him?" Yushima asked no one in particular, adjusting his glasses.

But unfortunately for them, Alphamon's mantle protected him from the lightning and he had used his sword to deflect the gunfire. When the debris cleared, he raised his hands to the sky once more and a massive magic circle appeared, bigger than the sky, one that wasn't used for offense or defense.

"A summoning circle?!" Omnimon gasped.

"Soul Digitalization!" Alphamon shouted.

From the circle, a giant claw reached out and crushed Omnimon into the ground, much to everyone's surprise. The owner of the claw was a beast unlike any they had seen before. The only thing that could possibly compare to its colossal size and hideous body would be Leviamon. It was wispy, like the Voidlings, but something about the texture was also rather gooey, like it was slowly melting with every move it made. It didn't have any eyes but there was a long mouth that reached from one side of the face to the other in an unsettling smile. His teeth were blood red, sharp, and overlapped each other.

"What is that thing?!" Matt yelled.

"A legendary monster from another dimension," Omnimon answered.

"Wha–?!" Matt blinked when he realized that his partner was standing next to him. "How did–? I thought that thing crushed you!"

Said thing let out a roar so monstrous that it shook the air they breathed and by then, it had finally reached the ground, crushing the trees like they were broccoli under an adult's cleats. The newscaster was completely speechless for a full twenty seconds before screaming for the pilot to get them out of there faster.

"I was able to evade it," Omnimon explained. "It's like you said, Alphamon and I were once friends. We still are. So I know all his tactics and techniques." He pointed his cannon at the mysterious creature. "This means I know all of his weaknesses as well. Supreme Cannon!"

The creature was pushed back a meter or two by the freezing cannon, slowly solidifying in a coating of subzero ice. The creature tried to let out another cry but his mouth was frozen shut by that time. Just like when Alphamon was frozen, it was obvious that this wouldn't hold for very long. But Omnimon's freezing capabilities were far superior to that of MetalGarurumon.

"Amazing," Matt breathed.

"Transcendent Sword!"

In a flash, the beast was sliced in half though it didn't break apart in two like one would expect. Since he was frozen from the skin inwards, he shattered like a massive glass figurine, raining down on the forest like glittering rain.

"I-Impossible!" Alphamon gasped. "I am the alpha! I am superior to you, Omnimon!"

"The corruption in your heart," said Omnimon. "It has possessed you and your soul." Alphamon drew his blade and flew down at top speed. "During Apocalymon's first attempt at conquering the Digital World, he used Dark Chains that amplified negative feelings. Is that what he did to you, friend?"

Alphamon was completely ignoring the other Royal Knight. "Divine Sword!"

"Did my leaving hurt you that badly?" Omnimon wondered aloud. Both of his partners were surprised to see a single tear roll down his cheek. "I hadn't realized even though I should've. We were practically brothers, weren't we? The alpha and omega."

"Grade!"

Omnimon's blade was drawn. "I'm sorry for everything I put you through. Now… I'll set your soul free!"

"Alpha!"

"Sword of Ruin!"

Both blades clashed with each other, sending sparks to fly everywhere but it was Omnimon's that turned out to be superior as Alphamon was suddenly cleaved right down the middle. Their enemy crashed into the ground with his data slowly floating up towards the sky and the painful part was that nothing was going to be left behind. No egg, no chance of redemption, he was gone forever.

"You did the right thing," Matt told Omnimon. "We didn't have any other choice."

Omnimon nodded as he returned to being an exhausted Tsunomon and Koromon. "I know… but it doesn't make it any easier," Tsunomon sighed. "Those Demon Lords… Forcing even old allies to fight against each other. I can't forgive them!"

Koromon glanced around, his round body bouncing in a circle before looking up at Matt. "Um… Where's Tai?"

Matt paused, as if forgetting about the existence of his own best friend before it hit him that the bearer of courage was still in that helicopter, flying towards the city. At this point, Tai's probably lost all the visuals so he has no idea who won the battle. Not only that but… Where was he going?!

 **December 21: Sovereign Lab – 12:00 PM**

Each of Azulongmon's eyes were scarred and leaking red data, showing that he suffered a loss that brought him blindness. The dragon wouldn't have liked what he saw anyway. He was trapped in a glowing blue tube in a dark laboratory filled with sophisticated machinery and equipment. And all around him were his fellow Sovereigns, trapped in tubes.

One of Zhuqiaomon's wings were completely burnt and it was also significantly smaller than the other. Baihumon was missing his hind leg and his tail was frayed and cut beyond compare. Ebonwumon probably had it worse of all as one of his heads was sinking inwards, like he had taken an anvil to the skull. All four of them were certainly looking worse for wear though.

"Huanglongmon! You traitor!" Zhuqiaomon screeched when the golden dragon entered.

"Traitor?" Huanglongmon chuckled. "You four were the ones that left me to rot in the Center. And none of you even noticed when the chunk was broken off to later become Shoutmon's Kingdom. If it weren't for Bagramon, I would've been trapped for all eternity!"

"Please, don't do this Huanglongmon," Azulongmon begged. "You're not an evil Digimon."

"Nor am I good," Huanglongmon reminded them. "The Demon Lords have shown me that my good self was weak. I banished him from my soul." That explained why he was significantly smaller compared to them. "But I lost a good amount of energy because of that. If I steal yours, I will be strong once again. No, stronger than you four!"

"You fiend!" Ebonwumon croaked weakly. Only one of his heads was able to speak since the other was resting.

Baihumon just watched as Ebonwumon sobbed quietly over the deformation of his other head, as Zhuqiaomon screamed profanities, and as Azulongmon pleaded to the fifth Sovereign's goodness. As for the tiger Sovereign, he was simply thinking about how they were caught by the hands of evil. It was a trick, Huanglongmon lured them out by pretending to be on their side, and then the Demon Lords ambushed them. If they hadn't been caught by surprise, they might not be having their life energy sucked out of them.

"Can the Chosen Children really beat them?" Baihumon growled, not speaking to Huanglongmon. "Azulongmon, answer me. You are the one who trusts them most. You are the one who convinced us to trust you. But tell me… If _we_ can fall to their hands… What can _they_ do?"

Azulongmon didn't even hesitate when he came up with answer. "They can surpass us."

-X-

 **In a battle between the alpha and the omega, Omnimon has come out to be victorious! But who would've thought that he was the actual Royal Knight? Another jaw dropper, Huanglongmon turns out to be that legendary Sovereign? And he's captured his own former allies to make himself stronger! The cruelty! But the biggest question is, what's going on with Marcus and Tagiru at this point? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **I actually had a lot of fun writing this chapter. So I hope you guys enjoyed and tell me what you thought in the form of a review down below. Sayonara!**


	12. Between Fire and Ice

**Zero Unit:** If you guys remember from last time, we were looking to the Adventure gang to find out how they were reacting to Digimon Tri since by all means, that's the canon and this is not. And… well… Ken is kind of having an existential crisis because he just watched the most recent one.

 **Ken:** I don't understand… Why would I be the Digimon Emperor again?! It doesn't make sense!

 **Yolei:** At least you showed up! I don't get it! Where are the rest of us?! Are we not as important to the team?

 **Cody:** From what the beginning of the first movie told us, it looked like we were "killed" or something that would be almost synonymous to our demise. It's a possibility that we lost to an enemy in between the two year time skip.

 **Henry:** We can also assume that you guys are alive seeing as Tri is teetering towards making the 02 epilogue canon. Don't know why they wouldn't. But with Tai's realization of wanting peace between the worlds and Sora's display of talent when she designed the clothes, shows you guys heading towards your future professions. Granted, we still can't explain Matt becoming an astronaut of all things.

 **JP:** Then how do we explain Meiko's absence in the epilogue? She seemed pretty important to the story.

 **Thomas:** The simplest explanation is that she was busy that day and the reason why TK would leave her out of the story he was writing is because he wasn't narrating the story. The end of his book is that Oikawa protected the Digital World.

 **Davis:** You guys are thinking way too hard about this. It's an anime, we should just enjoy it and let the audience enjoy it as well.

 **TK:** Davis has a point. People have been complaining about the absence of the other Chosen Children like the writers aren't going to explain it at all. I mean, the next movie is called "Confession" so it'll probably happen there. And if not, it's not like it's a question that can be avoided forever.

 **Kari:** True. Oh, but did you guys hear? Kouji recently passed away.

 **Kouji:** I'm right here.

 **Zoey:** Not you! Wada Kouji! The guy who sang a ton of songs for the Digimon franchise. "Butterfly" for Adventure, "Target: Akai Shogeki" for 02, "The Biggest Dreamer" for Tamers, "Fire!" for Frontier, "Hirari" for Savers, and "We are Xros Heart" for Xros Wars.

 **Nene:** You will be missed Wada, rest in peace. Thank you for everything.

-X-

 **December 21: Aokigahara Forest – 10:18 AM**

MetalTyrannomon had left behind a fractal code thanks to the charm that Dorbickmon held. The Dark General gobbled up the data of the fallen friend right in front of Tagiru's eyes which were red with rage and tears. He wanted to take revenge on the bipedal dragon but he couldn't even push himself out of the pile of Voidlings.

"Bastard!" Marcus shouted. "Let me out of here so I can fight you man to mon!"

Dorbickmon didn't seem fazed by this declaration which shouldn't have been a surprise. No matter how strong a human was, they could never be a match for him since they would never be on equal ground. It was about time that he finished this battle once and for all.

"Gumdramon, ShineGreymon, it's such a shame to watch two dragons as powerful as you two be destroyed," Dorbickmon told them as he drew his blazing blade. "But you've made your decision to work with these biological fools. Pity."

"If you're going to destroy us then do it!" Gumdramon snapped.

"Just know that you and the Demon Lords will never succeed in your evil schemes!" ShineGreymon roared.

The leader of the Fire-Fury army frowned at the two dragon Digimon. He never liked it when his prey had the last defying words, it just gave them this air of confidence despite the fact that they would be killed in a matter of seconds. It irked him. "Silence!" With a swing, the sword came down and would've cut their heads off if it didn't come in contact with the curved blade of a bisento.

"What the–?!" Marcus blinked before the Voidlings were suddenly sent flying off their bodies.

In front of them stood a young foreigner with thick blond hair and goggles hanging around his neck, clad in a samurai-style armor. He was the one holding up the giant spear, about as tall as he, to block Dorbickmon's weapons. And from behind, stood a Japanese man with dyed blond hair, he seemingly appeared out of nowhere with his midnight blue cape flapping in the wind and a scythe in his hands. If he didn't know any better, Marcus would've thought that this was the Grim Reaper.

"Who do you two impudent humans think you are?" Dorbickmon snarled.

The man in the front was struggling to keep the hot blade from touching him. "The name's Robert McCoy, the Samurai of Willpower," he answered. Marcus and Tagiru were surprised to see a middle-aged man suddenly looking not much older than the Data Squad member. "And my friend there is Gorou Mizuno, the Reaper of Dedication."

"As in I'm dedicated to take down these Voidlings," Shibumi smirked before spinning his weapon around, slicing through the shadowy creatures like he was chopping onions with a knife. "Are the two of you all right?"

"We're good," Marcus huffed. "But how are you guys able to hit them?"

ShineGreymon clutched his arm which was pretty much broken. "And how are you guys so young?"

"We'll explain later," said Robert, leaping backwards and away from their enemy. "For now, let's retreat. There's no way that even Shibumi and I together can take this guy down. We need to heal your wounds and partners before trying again."

"No!" Tagiru snapped, preventing them from doing anything. "We can't wait. This guy… We can't let him do what he wants."

Gumdramon nodded in agreement with his partner despite what everyone else was advising them. Even Marcus saw that they didn't stand much of a chance against the General. He was strong, no denying that, but he had gotten multiple wounds thanks to that creature's minions. It was a pretty good idea to replenish their strength.

"I don't like the idea of retreating either but there are some cases where we have to," Marcus coughed. "Come on, let's go."

"If Tagiru doesn't want to go, he doesn't have to," Gumdramon told him.

Robert shook his head though he could understand where the middle schooler was coming from. If he were up against a Digimon that had destroyed his partner, he would probably lose sight of what was important as well. "You're letting your feelings blind you from the current situation. If we stay, we'll be demolished!"

Shibumi didn't even wait for a reply, he just hid his weapon somewhere inside his cloak and then picked up Tagiru and Gumdramon and started running. The pair started pounding wildly onto the man's back while they fled, heading towards the city. According to Robert, auxiliary DigiDestined would be meeting them halfway and block Dorbickmon's path.

"I'll try to stall him!" ShineGreymon huffed. He flew up higher into the sky and turned to face the rampaging dragon coming at them at full speed. "Glorious Burst!" Unfortunately, the attack was brushed to the side and it exploded on the side of Mount Fuji. "I don't think I have any energy left in me."

Marcus watched as his partner suddenly returned to being Koromon and fell into his arms. The poor little guy was completely wiped out. "Why is this freak of nature so strong? If he didn't have the ability to control the battlefield, we would've gotten him already!"

"Put us down!" Gumdramon shouted.

"We need to fight!" Tagiru added.

They suddenly skidded to a stop just as Kentaurosmon leaped over their heads and collided with Dorbickmon, sending the Dark General flying backwards a few feet. The two older Chosen stopped running and Shibumi reluctantly let down his passengers to take on the approaching Voidlings that had followed in the dragon's wake.

"Marcus! Are you okay?" Samson asked, running over to his subordinate.

"I'll be fine after Thomas checks out my wounds," Marcus huffed. "I'm more worried about Koromon though."

"After a good night's sleep and dinner, I'll be good," Koromon mumbled into his partner's chest. "I'm sorry I couldn't defeat Dorbickmon. We're supposed to be the ultimate team and yet…" The In-training nuzzled in closer to Marcus. "I guess I'm not as good as I thought I was."

Marcus couldn't help smiling. Even now, his little partner was worried about Marcus's thoughts. "Don't be ridiculous. You did great. We'll just have to train harder after this. And hey, being part of the ultimate team doesn't mean one takes all the blame."

They turned back to watch the fight between the Dark General and the Royal Knight. Kentaurosmon fired a hailstorm of incandescent arrows which were all deflected thanks to Dorbickmon's blade and with a single stomp, an earth wave was sent towards the Royal Knight. The centaur leapt over the wave with ease and landed in front of his opponent, the two of them clashing with a sword against a crossbow.

"Goldramon Reload!" Tagiru called. The new Digimon left the X-Loader and picked up the humans, lifting them up into the sky so they could avoid being crushed by the wave. But they had to watch as the trees were being uprooted and the environment get destroyed.

Marcus looked below, moving his head from right to left. "Where are Tai and Matt?"

"Over there," said Samson, pointing out an area in the forest that had been set ablaze. "Yushima's already gone to retrieve them. I just hope they're okay."

Kentaurosmon and Dorbickmon bashed skulls as they both kicked each other in the gut, causing them both to become airborne for a moment. But Kentaurosmon wasn't taking any chances seeing as a pair of powerful Digimon could barely put a dent in him. The Royal Knight knew that he had to take every opening and hit them as hard as he possibly could. So as they were falling back to the ground, Kentaurosmon pointed his legendary shield at his foe.

"Odin's Breath!"

The dragon was frozen solid when they landed Kentaurosmon already had an extra-powerful arrow charged up with Dorbickmon's name on it. But right after firing the projectile, Dorbickmon melted the ice with an insanely hot exhalation.

"Dragon Infernal Fire!" The blaze not only allowed him to break free but it engulfed the forest and his opponent, even destroying the arrow that was coming for him. "Do you really think you can defeat me just because you're a Royal Knight? Dragon's Fury Blade!"

"Kentaurosmon!" Samson called out.

The commander's partner jumped into the air, flying right past Goldramon which left the dragon's passengers to gape at the six-legged mythical creature with wide eyes. They always knew never to underestimate a Royal Knight but that jump was ridiculous. The creature didn't even have wings!

"Goldramon! Move out of the way!" Kentaurosmon called before pointing his crossbow downwards. "Inferno Frost!" It was like watching a meteor shower come down except instead of flaming rocks, they were glowing arrows moving at light speed.

Dorbickmon smirked, feeling satisfied to find such a worthy opponent to face. "I see, so this is why the Sovereigns employed your kind to be their personal bodyguards. You are certainly a strong foe. But, not strong enough! Burning the Dragon!" He stabbed the earth with a claw and a stone dome surrounded him, blocking the arrows which each bounced off and stabbed the crust. "Infernal Dragon Fire!"

The top of the dome suddenly rocketed upwards with smoke and fire trailing behind it. Kentaurosmon, in midair, was unable to dodge it as it collided with him head on, making a loud cracking noise to resonate through the air.

Samson called out to his partner again, worry set in his brow. "Kentaurosmon! Stay with us!"

"Goldramon, help him out!" Tagiru called out.

The dragon nodded as he splayed out his hands, firing countless rays of golden rays from his palms which were easily blocked by Dorbickmon's blade. But it at least gave Kentaurosmon the time to shake off the disorientation and land on his feet instead of his face.

"Now!" Kentaurosmon bellowed. "Inferno Frost!"

Dorbickmon's attention became split between the rays of golden flame and the frozen arrows but to make things worse for him, seven other Digimon flew out from the trees where they had been staying hidden. Ginryumon, Waspmon, Darcmon, Seadramon, and Wizardmon which were all partners of the very first Chosen Children, Robert's team. Even without their keys, they could evolve to their Champion forms on their own at the very least. And two more, Dobermon and Submarimon, who were partners of Hideaki and Mizuki, two of Tagiru's fellow Hunters, respectively.

"Metal Armor Blade!" "Bear Buster!" "La Pucelle!" "Ice Blast!" "Thunder Ball!" "Gray Noise!" "Oxygen Torpedo!"

Dorbickmon clicked his tongue as all the attacks were sent flying at him from every direction and there was no way he could evade or block them all so he did his best with defending himself from just Kentaurosmon's attacks, the biggest threat. But he was barraged from all sides by the other attacks.

The Dark General had a smug grin on his face when the smoke cleared. "Do you really think–?" It faded away when he saw a flying locomotive suddenly barrel right into his chest, pushing him backwards. From inside the vehicle, Tagiru watched in amazement as Hideaki, Kiichi, and Mizuki all shouted in unison as the dragon was being pushed backwards, towards the mountain.

"We got you now!" Hideaki shouted over the whistle of the train.

"You got this, Locomon!" Kiichi cheered his partner on.

"We won't let you mess with our world!" Mizuki added.

Dorbickmon glanced back and saw the mountain coming towards him at full speed, if he didn't do something, he was going to crash. So he wrapped his hands around the train and lifted his feet off the ground for a second before grinding his feet into the earth. "Burning the Dragon!" The ground shifted and pillars started rising from the earth and stabbing themselves into Locomon, causing the wheels to stop turning and for the train Digimon to tip over.

"Hideaki! Guys!" Tagiru called out to his friends as they fell out of vehicle with screams.

"I guess this means all humans are fools," Dorbickmon huffed as he watched the three middle schoolers pick each other up. "Allow me to show you what I do to creatures like you." He lunged forward, claws ready to impale the three teenagers and in slow-motion, every Digimon was shooting towards them in an attempt to save them. But to their surprise, a dirt wall was erected between them so they couldn't make it.

"No!" Samson shouted. If there was anyone he wanted to be safe, it would be the youth.

Dorbickmon's hands were less than a meter away from their targets when two fists found a spot right on his face to pummel. The dragon tipped backwards and in his shock, he could see Marcus and Tagiru right in front of his eyes, their punches making contact with his scaly cheek.

"Tagiru!" Kiichi gasped.

"He's surrounded by a crimson DigiSoul!" Mizuki stated.

Koromon and Goldramon found spots beside their partners to glare at Dorbickmon. The two brunets clenched onto their digivices until their knuckles turned white and when Dorbickmon shook off the bewilderment that was two humans knocking him backwards, he narrowed his eyes on them.

"How long do you think it'll last?" asked Tagiru.

"Not more than twenty seconds," Marcus answered. "But if you ask me, that's plenty of time."

Tagiru nodded. "Agreed. But what do you guys think, do you want to go for one more round?"

Koromon evolved into Agumon on his own and started growling at the much more intimidating dragon despite the injuries he had sustained. Goldramon was switched out with Gumdramon who also bared his fangs and looked ready to fight again.

They only had twenty seconds to sustain their strongest form and Dorbickmon stood back to his full height as Arresterdramon Superior Burst Mode made an appearance. He's obviously seen better days but the only way to defeat a monster of Dorbickmon's caliber was something on this level. The fused dragon charged up for an attack as Dorbickmon was charging forward, only to get stopped by several Digimon flying into his face though he was able to knock each of them away with one hand.

"Odin's Breath!"

Dorbickmon's eyes widened in shock as he glanced down at his feet, frozen to the ground. He tried to break the ice with his fists when two more flying humans drop kicked his wrists, causing him to fall onto his back once more. Shibumi spun his scythe and used the blade to pin down the dragon's right hand while Robert stabbed his spear through the General's left hand.

"Now's your chance!" Shibumi called out as he jumped out of the way.

"Give it everything you've got!" Robert added as he tucked and rolled.

Samson could only watch as an Omnimon cracked the finishing blow to Alphamon from afar and Arresterdramon fire his Final Prism Burst attack right down on Dorbickmon. With two explosions resounding through the suicide forest and water from the two Whamon in the sky falling on their heads, the battle was finally over.

"Digimon… capture complete," Tagiru huffed as Gumdramon padded over to him.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to Hunt him?" the stretchable Digimon asked. "After all, he's… he's the one who destroyed…"

"I know," Tagiru cut off. "But I want Dorbickmon to atone for his sins and he can't do that by dying. Besides, he has MetalTyrannomon's data running inside him, in a way, this is like bringing him back home to the X-Loader."

Gumdramon stared up at his best friend who was biting down on his bottom lip. "Are you… crying?" It was hard to tell because of the rain. But before today, Gumdramon had never seen his partner cry. It didn't even seem to be within the realm of possibility. Although, he supposed every human and Digimon partner felt that strongly about each other.

The boy sniffed, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand as Hideaki, Kiichi, and Mizuki looked at him with worried eyes. Wondering if he was going to be okay. After all, the only other people they knew that had lost their partners were Yuu and Ryouma and neither of them had taken it well. It was hard enough just to watch someone cry about losing their partner.

Marcus walked over with Koromon tucked under one of his arms, his free hand patting the younger boy's head. "You did good, kid. Taiki, and MetalTyrannomon, would be proud of you. I know your friends here are, including me. So go ahead and cry, you can smile on this victory at another time."

Tagiru looked up just as the Whamon were finished spouting water, leaving behind a rainbow. Now, there was nothing to be confused about because tears were definitely rolled down his cheeks. "Thank you, Marcus," Tagiru sobbed.

 **December 21: Flame Area – 9:55 AM**

Risa watched as Agunimon was being swarmed by an army of Meramon while she hid behind a large rock. In any other case, she would be complaining about the accursed heat and how the humidity wasn't good for her hair. But the primary worry was on the humanoid fire people trying to kill them. Lucky for her, Agunimon, being the Warrior of Flame, was completely unaffected by their fire-based attacks. Unlucky for her, he couldn't hit them with his own so he settled for martial arts.

"The more I knock down, the more that show up!" Agunimon grunted as he kicked a Meramon in the chest. "Where are they all coming from?!"

Risa wasn't a Chosen Child, unlike her sister. She shouldn't even be in this dangerous world in the first place! But now that she was, she had to find some way of helping her schoolmate. She wasn't quite sure how but maybe if she found the source spitting out these Champion Digimon…

"There!" she gasped when she saw a few of the flaming men leap out of a crater. Unfortunately, she gained the attention of two Meramon. "Eek! Stay away!" One of them flipped over the boulder and landed in front of her, lunging forward with the intent of grabbing her throat in his blazing hands.

"Risa!" Agunimon shouted, pushing the mob out of his way.

Instinctively, Risa pulled out her bottle of pepper spray from her purse and shot it right in Meramon's eyes with a terrified shriek. When she opened her eyes, she saw that it had been very effective seeing as the Digimon was wailing in pain whilst covering his eyes.

Risa had never been so grateful to her mother's words of wisdom. "Huh, so it doesn't just work on perverted stalkers."

"Look out! Behind you!" Agunimon called out to her.

The teenage girl turned around in time to see another Meramon running towards her so she broke off into a sprint in the opposite direction. Another thing she was grateful for was that she chose to wear flats instead of heels. But even so, she wasn't nearly as athletic as her sister so the enemy was catching up to her.

"Takuya!" she yelled, regardless of the fact that the air in her lungs were thinning rapidly. "The source is in the craters! They're coming out from there!"

Agunimon glanced over to where she was frantically pointing while in a panicked run. It was just like when Davis and his team decided to stay in the Digital World until they defeated the Digimon Emperor. Those things were just making appearance after appearance and it wasn't slowing down in the least. Was it the lava in the bottom that was producing them? It was a possibility, right? But first things first, he had to save Risa.

"Slide Evolution!" Agunimon bellowed before taking off into the air with his new wings. He rocketed towards his human companion and sent a flying kick on the Meramon chasing her, knocking him out of the way. "Are you okay?"

"Other than the fact that I've realized I need to work out more, I'm good," Risa huffed. "But how are we going to get rid of the source?"

BurningGreymon scanned the area before lifting up the girl in his arms. He took off and landed on the rim of a volcano, setting her down and telling her to stay up there. "Just leave everything to me." It was weird, this Digimon was far scarier in appearance compared to the Meramon and his snarling voice was quite intimidating. Yet, he was able to make her feel safe. Was it because she knew it was Takuya that was speaking to her? Or did all the Legendary Warriors exude this protective aura?

"Be careful!" she called as BurningGreymon flew right for the crater.

The beast Digimon didn't need to be told that although his teammates sometimes felt like they did seeing how reckless he's been in the past. But even they will have to admit that he's grown up over the years since his first adventure. Will he still laugh at the most immature of jokes? Probably. But in a fight, when it really counts, he'll give it his all.

BurningGreymon used his Rudriya Darpana superweapons attached to his arms to get the attention of the many Meramon, keeping them from climbing up the side of the volcano to get to Risa. Once he was certain that they all had their sights on him, the winged dragon dived into the crater and dipped into the lava. His tough skin can naturally take on high temperatures and he had the ability to move through lava like it was just a lake.

Once he hit the bottom, he saw how the Meramon were being mass produced. Little orbs littered the floor and they would gather up heat, giving it a physical form until it became a Champion humanoid made of flames. They would then be shot out of the crater to wreak havoc on the over world.

" _It would probably be a good idea to destroy those orbs,"_ BurningGreymon's voice recommended. _"But that doesn't change the fact that there are hundreds up there to take care of. If only there was a way to destroy them all simultaneously."_

Takuya, from inside, couldn't help grinning to himself. It wasn't just levels of maturity that had increased for him, but control. Fire was his element, and while it scared him, when he's united with his spirits, he had absolutely no reason to fear. " _There's a reason why I told Risa to stay where she was. This is a bit of a gamble, but it'll do the trick if it works. And if it doesn't, hopefully we and Risa won't get hurt in the blast."_

Agunimon sighed from somewhere inside his thoughts. _"Still as reckless as ever."_

Just like the orbs, BurningGreymon began gathering the heat from the lava. The density, intensity, and material makeup was vastly different from flames but if he wanted this to work, he had to be in control of this element. "Wildfire Tsunami!"

In an explosion that would've rivaled Volcdramon, the crust of the earth shattered as the world went up in flames in front of Risa's eyes. Since when did he have this much power?

When BurningGreymon flew out of the wall of fire, he landed next to Risa as they watched the Meramon data float upwards with the eruption. The Legendary Warrior had to admit that he hadn't expected it to be this destructive but he supposed that's what happens when he's in his element. Unfortunately, the properties of lava are slightly different so he could feel the repercussions of absorbing it into his body.

"Takuya!" Risa gasped when the Digimon returned to be a human boy. The teenager stumbled and nearly fell off the rim and into the volcano if he hadn't been caught by Risa. "I told you to be careful! None of that was careful!"

The boy's skin was hot to the touch, probably because he had been swimming in lava just moments ago. But she was still able to pull him away from the scorching death trap that was underneath him. Even though they were safe and they had defeated all the Digimon there, Takuya was dazed and tired out. It took a lot more out of him than he thought.

"Why do I have the feeling you say that to Rika all the time?" Takuya smirked.

Risa rolled her eyes though she was smiling a little. It's easy to tell that humor meant that he was going to be okay. "This isn't the time for jokes. But yes, _all_ the time."

"We should get going," Takuya huffed. "I have a feeling that we won't be getting out of here until we've completed all the trials in each of the Areas. At least, that's how it was last time." He looked skywards. "If it's anything like last time, Mercurymon will be waiting for me at the top."

The brunet tried to stand up but ended up wincing and dropping to his knees. Risa placed a hand on his back to keep him upright as she pulled out a canteen from the backpack he had asked her to hold when he spirit evolved.

"You shouldn't push yourself," she told him.

Takuya chuckled weakly. "How are you and Rika twins?"

Risa shrugged as she helped him take a sip. "I could ask the same about Kouji and Kouichi."

"They're more alike than you think."

"Well, the same goes for me and Rika."

After a mild protest, Takuya ended up relenting as the two of them decided to sit for a while and rest. Besides, if they were to enter another sphere without thinking, they might end up against an extremely powerful foe. And Takuya didn't have the strength to handle another fight just yet.

But just as they were feeling a little more relaxed, a spongy hand grabbed onto their ankles and flicked them into the volcano. They let out yelps of terror as they found themselves falling right into a floating eyeball. Only the Legendary Warrior knew that this would take them somewhere else. Where? He didn't know yet.

 **December 21: Ice Area – 9:55 AM**

Keenan and Falcomon had woken up in a snowy area that wasn't all too different from how it was outside. They had already figured out that they had been dropped into Baihumon's sector, which they now knew as their home. This is the world where they had grown up together with Frigimon.

Frigimon was like Keenan's mother. She was cold to the touch, practically freezing, but whenever she would give the little orphaned boy a hug and sing him lullabies, he would feel warm. Was that just the kind of feeling that mothers gave to their children? He knew that was how Sarah Damon was to Marcus and Kristy and how his human mother was to him.

At the current moment, Falcomon was flying through the blizzard, squinting his eyes and yelling his partner's name. Because the avian Digimon hadn't seen the boy in a while after he took off running in a random direction, desperation in his voice and eyes. Somewhere along the way, he lost sight of the teenager.

"Where did he go?" Falcomon muttered to himself. "Doesn't he know how dangerous it is to be on his own?"

As for Keenan, when he had woken up in the white landscape, he thought he saw a bear-like figure in the distance though it was hard to see through the blizzard. Even so, he felt like he had to get closer to the figure. So he and Falcomon moved towards the silhouette but suddenly, whatever it was started running away from them and Keenan broke away from his partner in a sprint. He caught her face. One he saw all the time in his dreams filled with warmth and nightmares stuffed with heat.

But there was no doubt in his mind that the Digimon he had seen was Frigimon, _his_ Frigimon. The one he always saw as his mother because she took care of him for the first couple of years in his life before she was cruelly taken away from him by humans. Not all humans, of course. Just a select few madmen working under the assumption that Digimon knew about nothing other than destruction.

People still have that assumption, don't they? No matter how much positive publicity they give the digital creatures, people are still going to be afraid of what they cannot understand. It even happens among the humans themselves.

In the five years he's lived on Earth, he's discovered just how discriminatory humans can be. In just the classroom, he's learned about the wars that have been started because of fear of another country and the fight for civil rights because some people aren't even seen as humans by others.

One thing humans have in common is that they wish for human survival. The question is, what kind of people do they see as human?

Keenan shook his head in the biting cold. This didn't matter right now, he could think about this dilemma afterwards but right now, he had to find Frigimon. Assuming that she is the same one he had known for most of his life.

"Frigimon?" he called out. "Where are you?"

Suddenly, her voice reached his ears through the rush of the wind and he whipped around, trying to pinpoint the source. "Keenan? I'm here! Keenan!"

"Frigimon!" he continued shouting.

The boy hoped he knew what he was doing as he ran in the direction where he believed he had heard her voice. But not even seven steps later did he find the ground give way below his feet and an endless drop right below him. If it weren't for Falcomon grabbing the boy by the back of his down jacket from above, Keenan would've certainly died.

"What were you thinking?" Falcomon chided as he struggled to keep them airborne.

"I thought I heard Frigimon," Keenan confessed.

The bird's eyes widened for a moment as he lowered them down to the edge of the gorge so they could have a conversation on the ground instead of several meters off it. "Keenan, you know that's impossible. We saw her…" He trailed off, unable to continue.

"I know it's impossible," Keenan muttered. "Just like how Merukimon can never come back either."

"Keenan…"

They weren't his biological parents but the fact is, they had no obligation to take care of him. Especially since they knew that he was a human and it was because of his species that so many of their kind were permanently deleted without remorse. Yet, they treated Keenan like he was their son and he saw them as his parents. Just because there was no blood connecting them, did not change that fact. And any child would be heartbroken after the deaths of their parents.

"I saw them both die right before my eyes," Keenan whispered, his words hidden by the howl of the wind. "I was helpless to save either of them."

Falcomon placed a wing on his partner's back. "No one is at fault for their deaths except for Kurata, remember that."

Of course Keenan knew that. But he couldn't help thinking that he was a bringer of demise for the people closest to him. He pushed himself up into standing position as he glanced around for a way out of this place. But it didn't seem like they were any closer to the end of the landscape.

"I hope everyone else is okay," Keenan sighed.

Falcomon wanted to tell him that they were but he couldn't know that for sure until they were out of their own predicament. Their comrades were strong, but as of that moment, three of their friends were kidnapped by a Dark General, one doesn't even have a Digimon partner, and another can only reach the Champion level with his partner.

"We can ask them when we find them," said Falcomon. He flapped his wings and flew up. "Now, let's–!"

"Subzero Ice Punch!"

Keenan grabbed his partner's talon and pulled the bird down, narrowly avoiding the blast of cold air that swept by them. Not that they could tell the difference between the Digimon attack and the weather. But they both knew what Digimon's voice and attack that was.

"Frigimon?" Keenan gasped as they turned around.

There she was, the Digimon that had taken care of human for years even though she never had to. It was his kind that slaughtered so many of hers yet she never showed malice towards him, or even other humans. As a matter of fact, she was such a kind creature that it didn't make sense that she would ever use her signature attack on anyone at all.

"Why did you attack me?!" Falcomon snapped.

"Are you okay… Frigimon?" Keenan broached.

"Subzero Ice Punch!"

That time, the Frigimon that their eyes were on hadn't said it. Dozens of others had appeared from all sides and punched the air, sending blasts of freezing air towards them and if Keenan had been a second too slow, they wouldn't have been able to dodge it.

The clusters of snow-people watched as Peckmon leapt high into the air with Keenan mounted on his back as their attacks collided with each other, leaving an ice sculpture of a blob where their attacks had intersected. When Peckmon landed, he ran towards the ledge and then jumped over to the other side of the gorge where their enemies couldn't reach them.

"What's going on?" Peckmon murmured.

Keenan scanned the crowd until he found his Frigimon. "I don't know," he shook his head. "But I bet the Demon Lords had something to do with this."

"If they did then it's a dark sense of humor they have," said Peckmon. "Keenan, if it comes down to it, I might have to protect us by attacking them. I need to know that you are mentally prepared in case I have to destroy Frigimon."

No one wants to see their loved ones die, especially not for a second time. But Keenan understood what was at stake here. The Frigimon that had once taken care of him was gone, she had died years ago, the creature with the same warm eyes and gentle aura was an abomination using her presence to mess with their minds and hearts. Keenan wouldn't let that go on.

"If it comes down to it, then we won't have much of a choice," Keenan nodded.

The ground suddenly shook and the snow underneath Peckmon's feet shifted. Even through the storm, they could hear the thundering footsteps of a behemoth approaching them from the opposite direction of the Frigimon. The pair turned around and what they saw before them left their hearts locked in an iron grip and their stomachs churning.

From the pine tree forest in the distance, a massive humanoid shape emerged dressed in leather armor from head to toe. The mask he had adorned over his face appeared to have belonged to a wolf and he wielded a knife that looked about twice Keenan's height. The hilt was a bone and the blade glinted in the winter light.

"You would kill your own mother, Keenan?!" the monster bellowed.

"Merukimon…," Keenan stared.

 **Digital Analyzer** : Merukimon is a member of the Olympos XII who is said to be the God of Genius. He boasts of being the fastest in the entire Digital World and it is warranted as he can outstrip the fastest runners, becoming impossible to perceive by the naked eye. It is said that all recorded images of Merukimon are only afterimages while his true form is already long gone as he is known to despise staying in one place for too long. He is constantly wandering the Digital World and is difficult to encounter. Just don't get on his bad side or you'll get a taste of his knife, "Aztec," which is said to be able to cut through space.

True to the encyclopedia description, in the blink of an eye, Merukimon was throwing a punch straight down towards them even though he had been several meters away from them just a second ago. Of course, Peckmon was pretty fast himself so he was able to dodge the attack by leaping into the sky.

"Kunai Wing!"

To Merukimon's kinetic vision, the sharp bladed feathers were coming at him at one frame per second so he was able to spin Aztec in his hand and block all of the blades individually in the span of two seconds. But that wasn't all those projectiles were capable of as they exploded, shrouding the Olympian in smoke.

"He's too strong for us to take on in battle," said Peckmon. "We should retreat."

Keenan nodded in agreement. "Yeah, sounds like a good idea."

In a fight, Merukimon always held back because he knew just how powerful he was. Even when he had been up against three Ultimate Digimon five years ago, he was using maybe ten percent of his power and he was still beating them senseless.

"Don't think that you can run away."

Keenan swore underneath his breath when he felt the sudden change in the wind. Without having to around to face forward, he knew that Merukimon was there, having jumped into air and was twisting his body so that he could land a kick on Peckmon.

"DNA Full Charge!"

In the split second before the foot made contact with the bird, he evolved into Crowmon and narrowly dodged the attack by flying a little bit higher. The massive avian had to turn his body around midflight, with his partner clinging onto his back tightly, in order to evade a swing of Merukimon's knife.

"I don't think he'll let us go scot-free," Crowmon grumbled. "We might have to fight back."

"Let's try the blinding sun tactic," Keenan advised.

Crowmon nodded. "It's a bit underhanded but if we want to survive this battle, we'll have to. Black Feather!"

Merukimon landed in the snow just as the world went dark around them. By emitting a dark light from his jet black feathers, the Ultimate was able to cover everything in the surrounding three kilometer area in night.

"Has it already been so long that you've forgotten how good my night vision is?" Merukimon scoffed.

"That's what we're counting on," Keenan mumbled.

Crowmon shot downwards but stopped short just a centimeter away from Merukimon's face. As the warrior reached his hands up to take hold of the bird, Crowmon unleashed a bright wave of light and heat right in the enemy's face. "Sun Bird!"

Merukimon had the advantage in terms of raw power but it was Keenan who knew all the weaknesses of the one he saw as his father. The reason why Merukimon lived in a castle made of ice was because he always liked the cold and he would perspire excessively in extremely hot temperatures. The climate was also suitable for his eyes which he depended on as he as excellent kinetic and night vision. Damaging them with a miniature sun right in his face was sure to do some good for Keenan and his partner.

"My eyes!" Merukimon roared in pain.

"Now! Before he recovers!" Keenan ordered.

"Right!" The weapons on both his wings and his foreleg started spinning rapidly as energy began gathering in those spot. "Savage Emperor!" With an explosion that lit up the Area they were trapped in, Merukimon was blown backwards and stumbled into the gorge.

"You Digimon murderer!" was the last thing Merukimon shouted before disappearing into the trench.

The churning in his stomach had turned into bile rising up into his throat. He hadn't eaten much that morning for breakfast since he had been too nervous about returning to his first home after half a decade in the human world. But now he felt like every meal he ever had in his life was trying to make a comeback.

"Sakkakumon is just trying to play with your mind," said Crowmon.

Keenan refused to look up. He was too afraid that he would make eye contact with the revived Frigimon still watching from the other side. "I know… But it doesn't make me feel much better. Come on; let's just get out of here."

In the gorge, Merukimon hadn't actually fallen that far yet as he had stabbed the side of the wall with Aztec to keep himself from plummeting. As Crowmon was changing direction, the warrior pulled himself out and threw himself into the air.

"I'm sorry Keenan!" Crowmon called out as he spun around in a spiral, causing Keenan to fall off of his partner.

In midair, Merukimon twisted his body around and slammed his foot into Crowmon's back. "Crowmon!" Keenan shouted as he watched his partner rocket past him and into the ground. The Ultimate had returned to his Rookie state at that point and Keenan landed in the snow, the cold making its way through his clothes and into his skin. "Falcomon! Are you okay?" Where did he land?

Merukimon made it back to the ground, looking as intimidating as he had before. Except this time, he looked angry. "Keenan Crier, as a human, you will pay for the crimes of your kind with your life. Prepare to die, boy."

This wasn't Merukimon. It just wasn't possible. This impostor, this abomination, this was nothing but a bad nightmare and Keenan desperately wished to wake up.

-X-

 **Tagiru and Marcus were able to take down the Dark General of the Fire Fury Army and Takuya seems to be doing well for himself. You know, aside from the fact that he and Risa have fallen into an eyeball without any knowledge as to where they will pop up next. But Keenan is definitely in a tight spot. He has to fight one of the Olympos XII who also happens to have been one of his caretakers when he was a child in the Digital World. Will Keenan be able to overcome this hurdle or will his fate be death at the hands of the one he once called Father? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ: I hope you guys enjoyed and thank you all, again, for your support. Also, to those of you who don't review very often or just don't review, please do. As much as I love writing this story, I appreciate knowing how people are receiving it. If you're following or have this in your favorites, there must be reasons, right? I just want to know if there's stuff to improve upon or the kind of material that people enjoy. It'll help me provide you guys with the best content. Thank you for reading this author's note. I hope to see you guys in the next one.**


	13. What Is Important

**Zero Unit** : We have a question for Tagiru this time around. Ahem, "many criticize you for taking all the spotlight during the final battle against Quartzmon, apart from that, how do you feel to be part of this amazing group of superstars? How do you see the other leaders? You see them more as sensei or like friends?"

 **Tagiru** : It's amazing!

 **Kristy** : Ah, he ignored the part about being criticized.

 **Tagiru** : Honestly, for a while, I was just referring to them as my senpai since they're all my seniors in being a hero! They're as awesome, probably more so, as the ones who came to fight Quartzmon with us two years ago! But I've made them my goal because I'm not as experienced as they are yet!

 **Tai** : Well, the respectful way to referring to us is as your senpai but don't forget that we're your friends too.

 **Sora** : That's right. Don't forget to depend on us too rather than just ask for advice.

 **Tagiru** : *Eyes sparkling* I'll definitely do that! I want to hear more stories about you guys. Is there anything that the Digimon show didn't cover about your adventures? And what about the Tamers, what's it like to Xros with your partners? Ooh, and Warriors, what's it like fighting for yourselves? Speaking of which, Marcus, how-?

 **Yuu** : *Slaps hand over friend's mouth* Okay, that's enough.

 **Jeri** : We can answer your questions later, Tagiru. For now, we have to go back behind the fourth wall. Ah, for the viewers, when we pass back through the wall, we forget all about this space. It's only because Zero Unit brings us out here that we're able to talk to you guys.

 **Tommy** : Hold on… Would this be considered breaking the _fifth_ wall?

 **Zero Unit** : Okay, that's enough. Thank you for answering the question, Tagiru. Let's get you guys back to the story.

 **Tagiru** : I'm going to catch up to these other superstars one day! Just you wait and see!

-X-

 **December 21: Wood Area – 9:55 AM**

Yuu and Cody considered themselves lucky knowing that they wouldn't be alone in this but it made them worry for their comrades more. There was also the fact that they had come in here in order to rescue the three human and two Digimon captives in the Wicked Tower which turned out to be a fake. Now they were captives within Sukkakumon.

"I've faced off with one once," Yuu recounted. "He and a Jokermon were luring children into their amusement park so that they could capture them."

Cody had almost forgotten that the older male had gone through an almost magical girl version of a Digimon adventure. In which they faced monsters that were after negative energy from humans and it was up to the Hunters to stop them.

"I thought the Legendary Warriors were one of a kind," Cody pointed out.

The blond nodded, having wondered about this as well. "Yeah, that's what it sounds like. But strangely enough, on our adventures, we actually encountered a couple of the Legendary Warriors. And I don't mean Takuya and his friends. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the Digital World we were on was a chunk from the main world."

That was one theory that could work. After all, Starmon, Beelzemon, and even Greymon have different appearances compared to the ones everyone else has seen. It wasn't so farfetched of an idea for versions of the Warriors who were not, in fact, _the_ Warriors, to exist, right?

"Hey, Cody, we don't mean to interrupt this theorizing session," said Armadillomon, bringing their attention down to their partners.

"But we're starting to get a little hungry," Damemon continued. "Not to mention, we're completely lost! And both those things are not good, not good at all!"

The humans couldn't deny that. But what were they supposed to do? Wander around the trees for an eternity? But according to what the Legendary Warriors had told them, there should be a guardian or some sort of foe to face within this orb.

"If we defeat them, we should advance to the next Area," Cody recalled.

"And there are ten total," said Yuu. "From what we can tell, there are three groups total, us, Takuya, and Keenan. If Takuya is correct, Mercurymon will be lying in wait in the top two Areas, which means there are nine Areas to worry about. Therefore, if we each take out three…"

Cody finished for the General. "We should be able to get out of here and rejoin everyone else."

"That's nice and all, but there's one problem," Armadillomon pointed out. "I don't see any enemies."

He spoke to soon as the ground started shaking underneath them and vines shot out of the ground, binding their limbs to their bodies as they struggled to escape. From the rustling trees, they watched as a Cherrymon, Blossomon, Lillymon, and Lilamon all came out of hiding.

"Welcome to our neck of the woods," Lillymon giggled.

"You're going to have a ball," Lilamon chimed in.

Cody and Yuu were both fast thinkers so even as their enemies spoke, the pair were racking their brains for possibilities of escape. It was easy enough when they saw that Armadillomon was biting into the top vine that held him.

"Lillymon, Lilamon, don't waste your breath on these weaklings," Cherrymon told the flower fairies. "Eliminate them!"

"Yes sir!" Lillymon grinned. "Flower Cannon!"

"You got it!" Lilamon tittered. "Marvel Shot!"

The energy blasts were coming straight at them as Armadillomon freed himself and then clawed through Yuu's binds first. There was no way, even with evolution, that he would be able to block the attacks of two Ultimate Digimon while remaining unscathed. So instead, he was going to depend on Yuu to have a partner that could shield them from danger. Which, lucky for them, he did.

"RookChessmon Reload!"

As soon as the massive chess piece entered the battlefield, he erected a massive brick wall between them and the attacks while Armadillomon worked on freeing the others. "Castle Wall!" The plant Digimon on the other side of the defense could only gape in shock. Yuu was also surprised, because Damemon hadn't returned to his yellow X-Loader as usual.

"It must be because we're in the Digital World!" Damemon realized. "The rules of the hunt don't apply here!"

"So in other words, you could have your whole army out here," said Cody.

Next to Ryouma who had been out of commission until recently, Yuu probably had the smallest army since he wasn't as enthusiastic about the Hunt as Tagiru was. But every now and then, by chance, he would come across a Digimon that he felt needed saving so he wanted to be that person. In the same way Taiki had saved him when he was trapped in a dark place.

"Let's get a few more of you out here," Yuu nodded. "Allomon and SuperStarmon Reload!"

Cody was a little more than surprised to see these two as a part of the Hunter's army. The first because his D-3 identified it as an Armor Digimon and the second because it sounded like a Digimon that Tagiru would definitely want to add to his own collection. But this wasn't the time to be standing around, looking amused.

"Armadillomon, we can't just stand back and watch, right?" Cody called out.

"Right! Let's show them what we can do!" the Rookie nodded.

Damemon started hopping up and down as if he needed to do that in order to get in his partner's line of vision. "Hey, hey! Yuu, don't forget about me!"

"How could I?" Yuu chuckled before raising his X-Loader once more. "Damemon Super Evolve!"

Damemon Super Evolve to… Tsuwamon!" "Armadillomon Digivolve to… Ankylomon!"

Tsuwamon made the first move by producing a web-like substance from his hands. "Digi Ninja Art: Spider Bind!" He had Lilamon wrapped up within seconds, giving her a taste of her own medicine as she was being electrocuted. The ninja Digimon then yanked on the thread, pulling the fairy towards him where he could properly make mincemeat out of her using his sickles. "Mantis Dance!"

Yuu frowned when he noticed that Lilamon wasn't Hunted when he had tried to. "I guess if one rule of the hunt doesn't apply, all of them don't. It's back to how it was in the beginning." Back when they had to get new partners by bonding with them. Still, that appealed to Yuu more than forcing a Digimon to stay inside his X-Loader.

RookChessmon had his arms crossed as he blocked Cherrymon's barrage of cherry bombs. They didn't really hurt the fortress Digimon, they felt more like little bug bites. But like everyone knows, over time, those bites start to sting.

"You're a persistent one, aren't you?" RookChessmon frowned.

"And you're a resilient one," Cherrymon countered. "Let's see you try this on for size! Vine Attack!"

Just like before, vines came flying in at RookChessmon except without the intention of constricting movement. This time, it was to actually do damage to the colossal Digimon but unfortunately for the living tree, RookChessmon was smart enough not to fall for that.

"Rook Gatling!" The gun ports in his arms started spinning wildly as they shot down each vine before they even reached him. "Now, Ankylomon!"

Cherrymon's eyes widened as he realized that a certain spiky Digimon was no longer anywhere to be seen. He noticed the growing shadow on him much too late as Ankylomon came flying down from above, his tail smashing right through Cherrymon's head. "Tail Hammer!"

"That's two down," Cody nodded.

"Vicious Vine!"

Allomon was struck by the vine in the chest by Lillymon and to his surprise, the weapon sprouted vines while embedded in his scaly body. But just like the rest of Yuu's army, Allomon was resilient and he had made a promise to himself to never let his Hunter down. So he grabbed onto the flower Digimon with his strong claws, keeping her immobile.

"H-Hey!" Lillymon whined. "You big brute! Let go! Or at least…" She fluttered her eyelids and looked up at the dinosaur innocently. "…be gentle with me."

Allomon took on a scarlet tinge but he wasn't about to fall for her tactics of seduction. Not when she and her pals endangered the lives of Yuu and his friends. "Dino Burst!" A hot wave of flaming energy terminated Lillymon, leaving just a cloud of data behind.

This left SuperStarmon against Blossomon who was already proving to have the upper hand as he dodged her thorny vines like a pro. He wasn't even attacking yet, he was just making casual banter while dancing around her attacks like he was at a disco.

"So, tell me about yourself," SuperStarmon started. "Any hobbies? Got anyone you like? Come here often?"

Blossomon was getting more and more aggravated with each missed strike. "Stay still, you maggot!"

"Now that's just rude. I've got friends that are maggots, you know."

"Gr… That's it! Spiral Flower!"

Little flowers were thrown at SuperStarmon like they were shuriken except these projectiles could cut through almost anything, no matter how hard. The star-shaped Digimon stopped jumping around and for a moment, his eyes, underneath his sunglasses, seemed to flash.

"Galactica Eyes!" Beams of energy were blasted out and blew up the flowers before they even reached him. "Well, that was kind of easy," he shrugged. "But now that you've attacked me with bloodlust and an intention to kill, you have no complaints if I return the favor, right? Here goes! Halley's Squall!"

Cody was flung back to the time he and his friends were looking for a missing Biyomon for Sora at a western town. Many of their friends had been victims of Starmon's Meteor Squall attack which was enough to leave them in a rather sorry state. This attack was far more powerful than that one though it didn't look much different. But it was obvious that it had enough power and range to have taken down every one of their enemies in one fell swoop.

"Couldn't you have taken that more seriously?" Cody sighed, coming over to the golden star.

"Hey, I took her down, didn't I?" SuperStarmon replied. "Can't you smile a bit more?" He pinched the young brunet's cheeks, trying to make the corners of his lips go upwards. "Come on there, little guy, being stoic all the time will never land you a lover, you know."

Cody slapped the Digimon's hands away from his face, rubbing his sore cheeks. "I'm not going to be looking for a lover any time soon. Especially not with the Digital World in a crisis situation, I don't have time for distractions."

SuperStarmon let out a horrified gasp as a gloved hand came to his chest. "You think love is a distraction? You poor soul… Who hurt you?" He then produced an acoustic guitar from seemingly out of thin air and started playing the beginning notes of a depressing ballad. "Allow me to send your soul off down the river."

"What are you even talking about?" Cody huffed. "Yuu, can you do something about your…" The boy's eyes widened when he saw a spongy hand reaching out for the older boy's back. Yuu hadn't noticed because he was returning his friends into the X-Loader, one by one. "Look out!"

"Yuu!" SuperStarmon gasped.

By then, it was too late; Yuu had been taken right into the floating eye that was behind him. And as for the remaining members in that Area, an eye appeared underneath their feet and before they knew it, they were falling downwards to who knows where.

 **December 21: Wind Area – 10:11 AM**

Risa's hair blew in the wind and when she looked down; she could see the many trees passing by under her. She could've compared this to the time she was paragliding in Hawaii, over the ocean except this was maybe a hundred times more frightening. Probably because she was in the arms of a fire-breathing dragon… being chased by legions of Pteramon!

All of a sudden, BurningGreymon stopped in midair and to Risa's horror, their pursuers had already closed half the distance between them in that time. She was going to ask him why he stopped when he shot downwards. That's when she noticed the massive, oval-shaped Digimon that had been in front of them. It looked a lot like a zeppelin.

"What is that thing?" she screamed.

"Blimpmon," BurningGreymon answered. "Risa, I'm going to have to place you down. Are you okay with that?"

No, she really wasn't. But the teenager knew better than to argue with the person who knew more about Digimon than she did in this situation. "Okay, but don't leave me alone for too long," said Risa. "And this time, be careful!"

"I will," BurningGreymon promised before flying upwards and pointed the weapons on his arms at the Pteramon. "Pyro Barrage!" The beast was able to shoot down several of the flying menaces that were spiraling down towards him. But the real problem was the Blimpmon that was opening up a door under his belly.

"Helium Bomb!"

"That doesn't sound good," BurningGreymon grimaced. But he knew that if he dodged it, the attack would strike Risa on the ground. To avoid that outcome, he was just going to have to take the blast himself. "Wildfire Tsunami!" Coating his entire body in flames and becoming a blazing tornado allowed him to break through the bomb which exploded midair and he continued going until he shot through the zeppelin like a bullet.

From below, Risa witnessed massive explosions and raining debris, she could only imagine that this was a sight that only war veterans and survivors have probably seen. From the blimp, her friend flew straight for the remaining Pteramon and started attacking.

"Is this… what Rika has experienced for the last five years?" she wondered aloud.

Suddenly, from the cover of the trees, a smooth voice reached her ears. "I see… so you're… not a DigiDestined."

"Wh-Who's there?" Risa asked, whipping her head around left and right. "I… I warn you. I may not be a Chosen Child but Takuya will protect me if I'm in danger. And you don't want to face a monster like him." She was certain that the Legendary Warrior would do that, she was just hoping it would be enough to scare this mystery voice away.

The voice chuckled, sounding amused. "Was that supposed to be a threat? I'm not afraid of one of the Legendary Warriors."

"Well…," Risa's pupils darted around, her feet frozen to the ground and her arms trembling by her sides. "You should be! He… He took down several hordes of flaming Digimon all by himself, you know!"

One second, she couldn't figure out where the owner of the voice was at all. In the next second, she felt a chill run down her spine and a shadow standing over her. The blonde looked up and saw a V-shaped, dark armored face looking down on her but before she could even scream, an arm wrapped around her throat, trapping the words in her throat as she struggled to breathe.

"The very first Chosen Children are my target," said the Digimon. "Until I meet them again, I cannot lose."

So this guy was once an enemy of Robert and his team? Who was he exactly?

"Let go of her!" BurningGreymon bellowed from above. Dozens of flaming bullets were sent flying but none of them with the intention of striking the pair since he didn't want to hurt the hostage by mistake. The winged dragon landed in front of them, eyes narrowed on the Digimon as his D-Tector analyzed him.

 **Digital Analyzer:** Darkdramon is known to be the last resort weapon with the Gigastick Lance equipped to his right hand which can rival that of Gallantmon's holy lance. Although this information is mostly part of the rumor mill, it is a known fact that this Digimon has digital anti-matter running through his data stream. Since no other Digimon has been known to be able to handle this kind of energy, this Mega level Digimon is likely to be capable of other unpredictable feats.

" _This bloodlust is unbelievable,_ " Agunimon's spirit told his host.

BurningGreymon, for once in his life, actually agreed with his human counterpart. " _I've been in that guy's position before. After years of being trapped as a spirit with no physical body, I became hungry for violence and bloodshed. That's why I ended up taking over Shamamon that time. The wrong move could potentially make this guy go ballistic._ "

Takuya swallowed and since he was the person in control of BurningGreymon, so did the physical body that stood in front of Darkdramon and his hostage. What was he supposed to do? Surrender? In a situation like this, he had to think like one of the strategists. Or at least like Izzy.

"If your enemy is part of the very first, then why target us?" BurningGreymon growled. Stalling seemed like the best option for now.

"Orders from the top," Darkdramon shrugged. "My job is to eliminate all the Chosen Children and their partners that are here in Sukkakumon."

The Legendary Warrior wished he at least knew this guy's history. Maybe he could somehow change his mind about being so hell-bent on revenge. But of course, that didn't seem very likely. "If you have any honor as a warrior, then you'd fight me fair and square. I can tell that you're the type because if you weren't, you'd have killed her by now."

"My job is to eliminate all the Chosen Children."

"So you've said twice now."

"This one is not a Chosen Child."

He's got BurningGreymon there. So in other words, this was a trap. BurningGreymon spun around and blocked a Pteramon's bullets using the weapon equipped to his arm. He then pointed his other arm at the hidden Armor Digimon and fired a barrage of flaming bullets.

However, he didn't have the time to turn back around when he heard Risa yelp and simultaneously shout a warning for him. BurninGreymon could do nothing as he felt an energy blade cut right through his abdomen. It didn't chop him in half but it certainly felt that way as he was put into agonizing pain.

"You shouldn't let your guard down in front of an enemy," Darkdramon smirked.

Usually, a Digimon to take a fatal wound like that would either be destroyed or reduced to one of their previous forms. In BurningGreymon's case, he should've become a human again but instead, he turned black and a Fractal code appeared around his waist.

"Takuya?" Risa said softly, horrorstruck and shaking uncontrollably.

Darkdramon laughed at the vulnerable state that his foe was in. Tossing his hostage aside, he held out his palm and started absorbing the ring of data. "The human and beast spirits of flame, they are mine for the taking now. And once I do, you will be nothing but an ordinary human, once again."

Risa knew that wasn't good news and as she watched the beast spirit float towards the bad guy, her body reacted on its own. The girl flew to her feet and ran forward, jumping into the Fractal code and throwing her arms around the spirit before getting engulfed in flames and shattering the absorption process.

"What?!" Darkdramon blanched.

Takuya fell from where he stood and when he looked up, he saw BurningGreymon standing a few feet away, going crazy like the first day they had met. Flames were shooting out from every part of his body, the forest was being set ablaze, and even Darkdramon hesitated to get close. If it weren't for the fact that fire was his element, the flames licking his skin would've burned it so he was grateful for that at the very least.

"Risa?" he called out. There was a sinking feeling in his stomach as he listened to BurningGreymon's bestial roar. "This isn't good. How am I supposed to tell Rika that her sister got turned into an enraged, fire-breathing dragon?" A better question was, how was he going to turn her back?

"Tch, looks like I'll have to do this again," Darkdramon grumbled. "Terrible Gaze!"

Beams shot out of the creature's eyes and suddenly, BurningGreymon was frozen to the spot, numb from the attack. This stopped the winged beast's goals of razing the forest but this also meant that Darkdramon can now get close.

"That's not good," Takuya muttered as he held up his D-Tector.

"Demon Stab!"

Agunimon jumped in front of the charging Darkdramon, catching the lance under his arm before coating his free hand in flames. "Pyro Punch!" Unfortunately, the attack was blocked by the enemy's free hand and just by squeezing, Agunimon could feel the bones in his fingers threatening to be snapped in half. "Strong grip," the Warrior grunted. "I'm guessing job interviews don't go so well if they shake your hand."

Darkdramon bared his fangs as he flipped his opponent over his head. "Out of my way!"

"Gah!" Agunimon shouted as he crashed into the trees.

Darkdramon continued his advance towards BurningGreymon, who was starting to move again. "Gigastick Lance!" Before getting pierced by the blade like Takuya had, the beast flew upwards and over the dark Digimon's head, landing in front of Agunimon.

"She's let me take control instead of fighting me," BurningGreymon told him.

"So… What does that mean for us?" Agunimon inquired.

Darkdramon was already making a U-turn and in no time, he was directly in front of his opponents. His speed seemed to be increasing with his rage so they were no longer capable of evading his lance. The best they could do was block his blows in hopes that his weapon and applied force wasn't enough to break their armor. But unfortunately, they were still getting the brunt of his attacks and it was getting hard to keep up.

"With such an inexperienced host, I'm weaker than I usually am," BurningGreymon grunted as he blocked an axe kick with his arm. "But it's possible for us to fuse into Aldamon. The only problem is, I'll be taking the girl with me."

"She has a name, you know," Agunimon huffed as he attempted to counterattack with a roundhouse kick, only to fall on his butt. "We may not have a choice, but is it safe to do something like that? Won't we be weaker even if it works?"

If the beast spirit could break away from his foe for even a second, he would've shrugged in response. "Don't know if it's safe. I've never heard of two humans sharing a body in real life. But we don't stand a ghost of a chance against this guy unless we're Aldamon."

" _He brings a compelling argument,_ " the spirit of Agunimon pointed out.

The physical body of Agunimon grimaced but he knew they didn't have much of a choice if they wanted to take this guy down. So in the midst of their combative dance, the two spirits of flame joined hands and in a burst of fire and red light, they combined into Aldamon. The new form of the Warrior kicked off of Darkdramon and charged up for his signature attack.

"Let's end this in one move!" Aldamon roared. "Solar Wind Destroyer!"

Darkdramon's eyes gleamed as his fangs seemed to become sharper. "Is that all you've got? Dark Roar!"

The two attacks collided with each other and caused an explosion, covering everything in the vicinity in smoke. Aldamon finally ceased flying backwards and he landed on the ground with a soft thud, seeing that Darkdramon was completely unscathed and angrier than ever. But at the same time, there was an air of arrogance surrounding the android now.

"What's with this guy?" Aldamon muttered.

Darkdramon started chuckling and it evolved into dark laughter. "So, this is one of the powers that destroyed Murmukusmon? Truly pathetic! If that's all it took, then it'll definitely take less than a minute to finish you off!"

"Murmukusmon?"

Takuya flash backed to the haunted house at the Mirage Wolf Amusement Park a couple of weeks ago. Come to think of it, that Digimon was seeking revenge on the very first Digimon as well. And it took the combined forces of MirageGaogamon Burst Mode, GrapLeomon, Angemon, and himself in order to take down that Mega Digimon. Does that mean Darkdramon was in the same class as that guy?

"The Chosen Children really are a joke," Darkdramon smirked. "It's time I ended you. Dark–!"

"Eden's Javelin!"

A beam of holy light suddenly pierced through Darkdramon's side, but it was only enough to crack the armor and interrupt his attack, not enough to break right through him. Darkdramon and Aldamon both turned to the newcomer in the battle and while the former glared in frustration, the latter was just dumbstruck by the angel coming towards them.

"Ophanimon!" Aldamon gasped.

There was an adult human male accompanying the celestial angel. He wore a bandana wrapped around his forehead, his brown hair was split down the middle, and he wore clothes that look like he made them himself while living in the wild. Attached to his belt though, was a digivice model that was completely unfamiliar to the Legendary Warrior.

"One of the United Xros Heart Army's generals?" Darkdramon snarled.

"How'd you guess?" the man muttered as he came to a halt beside Aldamon. "Are you okay, Legendary Warrior?"

Aldamon stood up. "Uh, yeah. But, who are you exactly?"

"We can handle the introductions later," the man replied. "For now, we need to take down this menace."

Darkdramon's narrowed eyes widened when he realized who this particular human was. "I remember you now! You were with the very first Chosen Children several years ago!" The Mega Digimon would've lunged at him if Ophanimon didn't get in the way, blocking his lance with her javelin. "You're Glare Polaris, aren't you?"

"I'm flattered that you remember me," the man, Glare, muttered. "But this doesn't mean I'll go easy on you. Ophanimon!"

Ophanimon shot forward, her wings emitting a bright trail of light as she spun her javelin around, clashing with Darkdramon's lance. The two humanoids danced around each other as their weapons sent sparks flying, one graceful and the other violent in their expressive movements. Aldamon and Glare both watched as the two combatants took to the skies before addressing each other.

"You knew Robert McCoy and the other Monster Makers?" Aldamon inquired.

"I traveled with them for a short time," Glare explained vaguely. "Aside from one other, I was the first human to ever receive a digivice." He held up the white rectangular device attached to his belt and Aldamon took note of the keyhole at the top. "This is a D-Sync, the same model that Rob and his friends have."

Takuya, inside the fused Warrior of Flame, looked around the space inside before his eyes landed on another human being floating around in the data stream. He didn't have to question who it was but he did wonder if she was okay.

" _Risa!_ " he called out as he floated towards her. " _BurningGreymon, what happened to her?_ "

Agunimon's voice answered in his counterpart's stead. " _She was his host for a short period of time but that was not her destiny. Her body was not accustomed to that surge of energy and because of that, she has been sapped of a lot of her own. Even as Aldamon, we're being careful to only share our energy with you. But it is draining._ "

" _Does that mean if she stays in here for too long…?_ "

" _She will die._ "

Takuya bit his lip as he looked down at the unconscious girl's face. She looked almost peaceful but that experience must've been painful for her. " _Can we break her out of the fusion?_ "

" _Yes, we would just have to degenerate as we usually do_ ," Agunimon replied. " _We should become our individual components in that case._ "

Just then, BurningGreymon joined in on their conversation, sounding almost guilty and apologetic. A very different tone for him to take on and one that was unfamiliar to his fellow fire elementals. " _I'm sorry, Takuya. I hadn't meant to lose control when I did. When I found that a different host had taken over… I…_ "

" _It's okay; it's not your fault_ ," Takuya interrupted. " _It's no one's fault. Especially not Risa's. She was just trying to protect you, after all. As a matter of fact, I should probably be thankful for her bravery, even if it was reckless._ "

" _Heh,_ " Agunimon smirked. " _Sound like someone else you know?_ "

Takuya laughed a little. " _Oh man, she's only been around me for a day and I've already rubbed off on her?_ " He paused, a smile still resting on his lips. " _But even though she looks like the completely opposite of her punk rock sister, they're a lot more alike than they know._ "

Glare watched as the Warrior of Flame became surrounded in the light of degeneration, slowly becoming smaller in size until there were just two humans there. The male was down on one knee, keeping the female's head up.

"You want to keep fighting, right?" Glare inquired.

Takuya nodded firmly. "Yeah. You think…?"

"I'll watch over her," the man finished.

"Thank you," said Takuya.

After handing over Risa from one set of arms to another, Takuya took out his D-Tector once more. However, before he could do anything, Glare stopped him, holding out a Digi-Core that was apparently meant for the brunet's device.

"The Ophanimon that you know asked me to give you this," Glare told the younger male. "She said that it was a substitute energy source equal to that of four Legendary Warrior spirits. I'm not quite sure what that means but she said that you'd know."

Takuya took hold of the glowing orb. "The one that I know?" It felt warm and even though the rays that surrounded it were just light, it felt like it tickled his palm. "Thank you, Ophanimon." He held his D-Tector up to the orb and the energy went from the source to the device before his now free hand became surrounded in data rings. "I'll put it to good use! Unity Execute! Unified Spirit Evolution!"

Glare had to cover his eyes with his forearm as the boy became enveloped in a bright red glow; it almost looked like a giant bonfire. It even distracted the two fighters in action above their heads. The angel felt like the scratches she had received from the lance were being healed while the dark one felt like salt had been poured into his wounds.

Risa stirred but she didn't wake as a small smile appeared on her face and a few soft words left her lips. "It's warm."

Takuya thought back to the first time he realized he could produce flames from his human palms. He remembered the terrified feeling he experienced when he burned down that warehouse and when he accidentally harmed his own friends, almost killing them. Fire is a dangerous element and shouldn't be played around with but that didn't mean it was exhilarating at times as well.

Ever since he got his spirits back, Takuya's been afraid to fight to his full potential because he was afraid of hurting someone he cared about again. But just because it was destructive, didn't mean that it couldn't be used to protect.

Against various enemies that he's fought in just the last few months, he's saved people, protected people. And fire, like the sun, gives warmth to all life; it's not just a force to be cautious around. It can be controlled and Takuya was the controller here. The fear of controlling it had completely dissipated at this point and all that the Warrior of Fire could feel was warmth and the same exhilaration he felt that first day in the Digital World.

"EmperorGreymon!"

It was time to use fire to protect the worlds and the people he cared about.

 **December 21: Ice Area – 10:11 AM**

Merukimon's knife was just a meter away from plunging into the teenager's body when it clashed with some other metallic object. Keenan could only stare at the fluttering cape of the Digimon that stood in front of him, using a lance to protect him.

"Gallantmon?" he blinked. No, this knight was different, darker.

Suddenly, a human woman who was maybe in her mid-twenties, showed up beside him, picking him up bridal style and carrying him towards the fallen Falcomon. She had dark skin and blue hair tied back in a ponytail. Her clothes were a bit odd for that of a human but then again, her entire being seemed different compared to the other humans that Keenan has met in his lifetime.

"ChaosGallantmon!" she shouted back. "Your opponent is a speed and power type so stay on the defensive until backup arrives!"

"Understood!" ChaosGallantmon responded like a soldier and she was a general.

The woman, Julia, put the younger human back down into the snow where Falcomon stirred. When the avian awoke, he immediately threw his wings around his partner, saying how grateful he was to find that he was okay.

"My partner can't win this battle on his own," Julia huffed. "We need Ravemon."

Keenan didn't know who this person was or how she knew about him and his partner's Mega evolution. Could he even trust her? Then again, she did just save his body from being impaled by a colossal knife so he had no reason not to trust her. But there was one other problem.

"I can't," Keenan muttered.

Julia's eyebrows stitched and a disapproving frown appeared on her face, but there was also concern laced in her pupils. "What do you mean, you can't?"

"Merukimon… He's…" Keenan was shaking uncontrollably, and not because of the cold. He was so choked up that he couldn't even speak properly, so Falcomon took over.

"Keenan was accidentally abandoned in the Digital World when he was an infant," the bird explained. "If it hadn't been for Merukimon taking care of him, he might not even be alive today. The years, the lessons, and the love that was passed on to my partner… It was because of Merukimon and Frigimon."

The teenager found tears rolling down his cheeks as his shoulders convulsed violently. He tried to wipe away the tears from his freezing face and he realized that it's been a long time since he felt this way. The last time was maybe on the one year anniversary of Marcus leaving them for the Digital World. The people that mattered most in his life sure liked to jump in and out whenever they liked, didn't they? For once, he wanted one of them to stay permanently.

" _Come on! I want to show you something!"_

Keenan blinked a few times, wondering where that voice had come from. He looked back towards the fight that was happening between the darker version of the Royal Knight and the Olympian. According to rumors, the Olympos XII were equal in strength to that of the Royal Knights but that wasn't actually true. Why would a knight be as strong as a god?

He knew he had to help but…

" _Marcus and Falcomon will definitely come back."_

It was a girl's voice, one that was really familiar and close to him at that.

" _The world might be in a lot of danger again when that time comes."_

It was clearer this time.

" _If so, you're going to have to stop crying and work hard to protect us, right?"_

Four years ago, on the anniversary after Marcus's departure into the Digital World, Keenan had a dream that they were all together. It was him, his first human friend, his digital brother and partner, his snowy mother, and his Olympian father. The boy's real parents were around too as they all had a picnic together. But when the dream shattered, he awoke to tears on his face.

That whole day was spent hiding his face because he didn't want people to worry about him. But then she found him, took his hand, and pulled him into a park. That wasn't her special place; it was in a forest, deeper. She pulled him all the way to a riverbed that was hidden away from the rest of the world.

" _I come here to cry alone because I miss them too, you know."_

That's what she had told him. The girl was always so tough and acted as if nothing ever fazed her while simultaneously getting the best grades in their entire school. It never occurred to him that she was capable of crying as well.

That's right. The five years he spent in the human world was with her and his real family. Was he supposed to let his mom, dad, Yuka, and especially her down?

"Kristy…," he said to himself. The raging howl of the snowstorm making it sound like a whisper. But Kristy Damon had chosen to even follow his family to Shinjuku because she knew that he would be lonely in an unfamiliar place. It may seem like they don't get along at times, but there was truly no other human closer to him.

"We need to protect her, right?" Falcomon said. "Not just her, our home, the Digital World. And of course, your family and Earth."

It's true, Merukimon and Frigimon will always be important to him, possibly the most important Digimon in his heart aside from his own partner. But they were part of his past; there was a present and a future for him with Kristy and the others. And while he couldn't protect his digital parents, he's been given a chance to protect his real ones.

"What was I thinking? I need to fight," Keenan laughed humorlessly as his grip tightened on his Data Burst Digivice. "Falcomon… It's fighting time!" Julia took an involuntary step back when he was enveloped in a purple DigiSoul. "DNA Charge Overdrive!"

"Falocomon Double Warp Digivolve to… Ravemon!" The humanoid avian shot towards the battle in a burst of light as he drew his katana, joining ChaosGallantmon as the pair parried Merukimon's knife. The Olympian's speed is incomparable to theirs but if there was any Digimon that could compete with him in terms of speed, it was Ravemon.

"Let's combine our attacks!" ChaosGallantmon recommended before accumulating energy into his lance. "Chaos Shot!"

Ravemon spun his sword before pointing it, the Raven King, at the behemoth. "Celestial Blade!"

Merukimon crossed his arms to block the attack but his bellowing grunt of pain was enough evidence to show that he could be damaged by his foes. But even at this level of power, it still wasn't enough. If they were going to defeat this Olympian, they were going to need even more. So it was a good thing that Keenan hadn't put his digivice back yet.

"One more upgrade! Charge… DNA Burst Mode!"

Julia had to say that she felt good about their odds even if they were up against a legendary Digimon. "ChaosGallantmon, don't hold back! Show them why we're the chiefs of the Night Crow faction!"

The dark knight nodded as he gathered energy into his shield, Gorgon. Keenan could figure out that this attack was probably going to be the equivalent of Gallantmon's Shield of the Just attack though this one made even the ground around them rumble.

"Ravemon! Give it everything you've got!" Keenan shouted, not wanting to be left behind. "Let's prove to Merukimon that we can stand on our own two feet!"

Storm clouds gathered above their heads as Ravemon started crackling with electrical energy from head to toe. His purple wings were shimmering with a powerful aura that sent chills down spines which was odd because things actually felt warmer in the Ice Area now because of this weather phenomenon.

As for Merukimon, the tribal warrior shook off the disorientation from the previous attack and with his speed, he would be able to lunge at them and chop them up in seconds. But the pressure that the two Mega level Digimon were emitting was intense, it made even the Olympian freeze up in his tracks as the two attacks were now fully charged. And Keenan wasn't sure if it was his imagination but for a moment, he believed he saw Merukimon smile… at him.

"Judecca Prison!"

"Lightning Thrust!"

Julia pushed Keenan to the ground as the explosion rang out throughout the entire orb, shaking the place as a powdery fog covered them. When it passed, they looked back up to see that Merukimon was gone and in his place was a Digi-Egg.

"He… returned to being an egg?" Keenan gasped. "But how?"

Julia bit the inside of her thumbnail as the pieces came together in her head. "I see, so the Celestial Angels were probably right. The Demon Lords are after the Olympos XII so they can't have any of them dying a permanent death. But if so… why run the risk of sending their only Olympian into a fight?"

"Wait, what are you talking about? Just… who are you?" Keenan asked.

The woman crossed her arms, unsure of how to explain the situation, so instead, she took a different route. "I'll tell you later. Right now, there are people that need saving."

-X-

 **Whoa, okay, so a lot is happening here. We saw Cody and Yuu for a moment and they seem to be doing fine so that's good news. But who exactly are these two newcomers, Glare and Julia? They're most likely allies and one of them admitted to having traveled with Robert and the gang once upon a time. But doesn't he seem too young to have partaken in those adventures? Well, I guess we can only stay tuned to Digimon: Children of the Future, to find out more!**

 **Guess what guys? I hit 300 reviews in Children of the Present! That is amazing and you have no idea how much it thrills me! So, I plan on putting this story into maximum overdrive! Or at least, that's what I'll try to do. But of course, I'm still waiting on reviews for this story, you guys. You know where to put them. Also, congratulations to those of you graduating this year. See you next time!**


	14. Fair and Foul Play

**Zero Unit** : Today, I've got a question designed for the lone wolves of each team, Matt, Ken, Rika, Kouji, Thomas, and Kiriha. And yes, it's Ken because the others don't really fit the criteria needed to qualify as a lone wolf. Now, the question is, if your teammates were stuck in the middle of the sea, who would you save first?

 **Rika** : Jeri.

 **Kouji** : Kouichi.

 **Kazu** : She didn't even hesitate!

 **Takuya** : That's a fair response.

 **Ryo** : That's real cold, Ice Queen.

 **Zoey** : They are brothers, after all.

 **Zero Unit** : Those are pretty good answers from those two. But what about the rest of you guys? Remember Matt, you can't choose TK because he counts only towards the 02 team. And Thomas, Kristy and Relena are not options because they were not official members of your team.

 **Thomas** : Then I suppose I'll choose Keenan. He is the youngest and I'm sure the others are capable of getting themselves out.

 **Yoshino** : I would've chosen the same.

 **Zero Unit** : And the rest of you?

 **Matt** : Uh… Maybe… No… How do you expect the bearer of friendship to decide on this?!

 **Ken** : Being the bearer of kindness also makes this hard to answer.

 **Kiriha** : Taiki or Nene…

 **Akari** : You can at least _pretend_ to deliberate on your answer!

 **Kiriha** : Not Akari.

 **Taiki** : *Holding back Akari* Hey, Zero? I think it's time to go back behind the fourth wall. Let's try to have them answer those questions next time. Or possibly give them a question that won't cause tears, anger, or a rift among friends.

 **Zero Unit** : Please enjoy today's chapter.

-X-

 **December 21: Water Area – 10:08 AM**

Cody and SuperStarmon landed in a clear lake with a big splash but when they stuck their heads out for air, they saw a falling Ankylomon coming down on them. Cody's partner was far from the largest and the heaviest Digimon but the fact remained that he was falling back first and that back was covered in sharp spikes.

"Swim boy! Swim!" SuperStarmon yelped.

With a cannonball, the two males in the lakes were washed ashore, coughing up water as Ankylomon sunk down to the bottom like a rock. Cody quickly raised his D-3 as he was refilling his lungs with air and a yellow light traveled from the lake and into his device. It wasn't long before a dazed Armadillomon floated to the surface.

"Are you okay, Armadillomon?" Cody coughed up.

"Huh… So that's what it's like to be in water and not be Submarimon," the Rookie groaned.

While SuperStarmon fished Armadillomon out of the water, Cody had to strip off his wet clothes to keep himself from catching a cold. Due to the last time he had fallen into cold water, he made sure to be prepared this time around. He brought along an extra outfit kept in a vacuum sealed plastic bag so that it would stay dry even if his entire backpack fell into water.

"Huh, and here I thought you were really skinny," SuperStarmon commented from a few meters away. "But you've actually got some muscle on you."

A lot of people seemed surprised by that fact when they saw the skin under his shirt which made sense seeing as he doesn't appear to be the type to work out. "I have years of kendo training under my belt," he responded while drying himself off with a towel. "My grandpa likes to give full-body workouts."

"It pays off."

SuperStarmon was obviously trying to make small talk since they were stuck in that place together with no way out. It would be painfully boring otherwise but Cody didn't want to talk about something that didn't concern their current predicament.

"We should try to rejoin Yuu or maybe even one of the others," Cody huffed.

"Nah," SuperStarmon waved off.

A frown appeared on the boy's face when he heard this. "Can't you take anything seriously? Suzie and the others are in danger and it's likely that so is everyone else. We can't waste another second on mindless conversation."

The golden Digimon shrugged, the fringe on his gloves flapping around as Armadillomon finally found the energy to stand up. "I'm just trying to be better friends. Even in the direst of situations, shouldn't we try to be friends?"

"Being allies is good enough for me," Cody muttered as he walked over to his partner to make sure he was okay. "And the most important thing right now is regrouping."

SuperStarmon adjusted his sunglasses which gleamed from the unknown light source as he watched his companions walk towards the forest. He had to wonder what they were thinking of finding by mindlessly ambling around in the woods. Another floating eyeball to walk into and end up in some other wacky place?

"You're pretty big on justice," Yuu's partner suddenly stated.

"Is that a bad thing?" Armadillomon inquired though it sounded more like a dare of sorts.

"Depends," SuperStarmon replied. Cody had paused to listen to what this Digimon had to say about him and his nature. "It's great if that sense of justice is that everyone gets what they deserve. But if you're so set on punishing evil based on your definitions, you're going to lose sight of your true purpose as a Chosen Child."

Cody's frown grew deeper. "What are you talking about? A Chosen Child protects the worlds and fights the bad Digimon. It's as simple as that."

The shades-wearing Digimon turned to the side so that his profile was what Cody saw. "Is it now? You know, I had a cousin that was a lot like you. He was a sheriff of a dusty old town and he was always about finding some way to punish the criminals and defend the town. But there were times when he lost sight of something else important."

If it was really something so important, why would he forget it? Then again, every other week, Cody would find himself asking his grandfather about how his dad had died. How many times has the young boy heard the travesty that was his own father's death? But in truth, Cody could never forget that day.

"Either way, we should at least find the enemy in this Area," the human broached. "You don't want to be stuck here forever, right? So take our situation seriously."

"I am."

"By making a hammock?"

SuperStarmon finished creating his suspended swinging bed and he pulled himself onto it. The golden Digimon threw his arms behind his head and let out a sigh, as if it was just a few seconds from closing time at his grueling workplace. "We need our rest since we exerted some energy in our earlier fight and besides, it will be better for our enemies to come to us."

Cody resisted the urge to sound bitter but he did narrow his eyes, shift his weight to one foot, and put a hand on his hip. "So they can sneak up on us?"

"I know exactly where the bad guys are going to show up from so they won't be sneaking up on us," SuperStarmon assured him.

Armadillomon rushed over and using his sharp claws, snipped the strings that held up the hammock from SuperStarmon's flashy boots, causing the thing – and the Digimon occupying it – to hit the ground with a thud. "Mind telling us or are you going to sit around all day?"

"Yeesh, and here I thought you were the nicer one," SuperStarmon groaned. "I suppose a lot's changed since that digital Chinatown episode."

The Chinatown episode? That's right; the events from Cody's adventures were made into a television show. If memory served correct, that meant SuperStarmon was referring to the day when his partner had first DNA Digivolved with Angemon. It was very special and again, another unforgettable moment in his life because not only did he become stronger but they were able to protect the final Destiny Stone from being destroyed by BlackWarGreymon.

But why was SuperStarmon bringing this up in the first place?

Before Cody could question the Digimon on this though, there was a sudden pressure hitting them as the lake began bubbling. "Wave of Depth!" Like a volcano, the entire body of water erupted and nearly crushed them under waves of water.

"Uh-oh," Armadillomon grimaced.

While it shouldn't have been physically possible, the entire Area filled up with water until it was all they could see. Thankfully, Cody was quick enough to evolve his partner into Submarimon and climb into the Armor Digimon so he was able to keep himself from getting wet a second time. Safely inside the oxygen-filled Digimon, they floated to the top, with SuperStarmon hanging onto his tail.

SuperStarmon squirted out water from his… mouth. "See, if we had walked into the woods, that tidal wave _definitely_ would've caught us by surprise."

Cody had to admit that SuperStarmon's judgment had been right but instead of acknowledging this fact, he remained silent. They didn't have time to discuss this anyway as their foe surfaced his monstrous head, and then, the rest of his body. It was a mix of an undiscovered sea creature and a merman, creating a rather grotesque and intimidating form.

"Neptunemon?!" Submarimon gasped. "What's one of the Olympos XII doing here?"

SuperStarmon swam over to his ally's side. "Close, but no cigar. While that is Neptunemon, he's no member of the Olympos XII. He's just a copy that Bagramon created out of spare data to join his army and become an overseer of one of the zones. While he's not as powerful as the real Olympian, it would still be wise to be wary as he is still very strong."

"Thanks for the warning, but how did you know he was here?" inquired Cody.

"I was in his zone for a while," SuperStarmon replied. "I'd recognize the pressure he exudes anywhere."

A chilling smirk appeared on Neptunemon's face as he stabbed the air with his spear, pointing it towards Submarimon. For a brief second, Cody wasn't sure of what that had been about, but then SuperStarmon yanked him towards him, and away from the invisible spear that shot into and caused a massive splash in the water.

"Did he move so fast that he stabbed the water without us seeing?" Submarimon gasped.

"Or did he stab the air so hard that an air blade nearly pierced us?" Cody frowned, neither scenario meaning good things for them.

"I have already sullied the name of the Bagra Army for my failure at securing the Code Crown of the Island Zone," Neptunemon stated, swinging his spear around so that it rested by his side. "I shall not dirty the name of the Demon Lords by failing here."

"It doesn't look like you've got your troops with you though," SuperStarmon smirked.

"They were reconfigured and given a new lease on a different life after all the Code Crowns came together."

That's right. Cody had heard from Yuu that after the Xros Heart Army had collected all the Code Crowns, they were allowed to have one wish granted. Not only were they able to make Shoutmon king of the Digital World, but every enemy they fought and deleted were reborn as their good counterparts. But if that was true, why was Neptunemon…?

"Remember, he's a fake," SuperStarmon muttered. "Bagramon created a lot of the members in his army that way. So don't worry about deleting him permanently."

Fake or not, could they really win a fight against such a powerful enemy? After all, he had the advantage in this Area and it was obvious that SuperStarmon would have trouble evading attacks if he were to remain in the water the entire time.

"Let's strike first!" Cody commanded.

"Roger that!" Submarimon nodded. "Oxygen Torpedo!"

Air missiles rocketed out from the submarine and towards the merman. But obviously, judging from Neptunemon's one attack from before, he was much too skilled to be hit by such an attack as he swerved out of the way. Submarimon launched waves of torpedoes but each one missed its target.

"At least we can see his silhouette in the water," SuperStarmon pointed out. "It makes it easy for us to spot him."

Neptunemon's laugh traveled from beneath the surface and into their ear canals. "That may be so, but can you see my attacks?"

SuperStarmon hung onto Submarimon as they submerged, zigzagging through the water in order to keep themselves from getting stabbed by invisible spears. While it was an effective method, it was not one-hundred percent perfect as they were scraped multiple times by the speeding weapon. Cody was being rocked about and it was hard to keep his eyes open to see where he was steering, he might as well have been wearing those drunken goggles they used in health class.

"It's hard to look for our opponent like this!" Submarimon yelped.

"Blub blub blub," SuperStarmon added.

"I think he needs air!" Cody shouted over the roaring and rattling in his ears.

Submarimon surfaced for a few seconds so that the passenger that was not inside of him could take in a couple of gulps of air before going back underwater. He had to move quick if he wanted to avoid the wrath of their enemy. But when they submerged for the second time, they had to make an abrupt stop as they found themselves face to face with their very enemy.

Neptunemon slashed with his spear but it was caught by SuperStarmon who jumped off from the Armor Digimon and let the blade strike his shoulder. This forced the star-shaped Digimon to shout despite being underwater, accidentally filling his lungs with the wrong substance. Cody's eyes widened in shock when he saw his protector in pain and in danger of drowning as evident from his flailing about.

However, even Digimon that were not indigenous to water were resilient and someone like SuperStarmon was stubborn. There was no way he was going to go down without a fight, especially not when he hadn't even said a proper goodbye to his partner yet.

"I won't lose here!" SuperStarmon grunted. "Super Star Fist!"

Despite being underwater, the sound of a fist making contact with Neptunemon's scales still resounded in Cody's ears. But when the golden glow faded away, they could see that the Olympian had blocked the punch using his free hand.

"Do you honestly believe you can defeat the God of Water in his domain?" Neptunemon grinned. "Die, you cur!"

SuperStarmon was nearly impaled by the spear but Submarimon propelled himself forward and blocked it with his horn. While Cody's partner was renowned for his tough skin in any form that he took, it was obvious that this position was hurting him.

Cody ejected himself from his partner and that's when he revealed the item he had secretly brought along with him to the Digital World. Strapped beside his backpack was a long rod wrapped in gauze, unwrapping it here, he produced a Japanese sword which he unsheathed and cut into Neptunemon's arm, forcing him to release his captive.

"Blub blub!" the freed Digimon exclaimed.

Cody grabbed his comrade's elbow and swam up to get air while his partner kept the enemy busy. Once they broke through the surface, the brunet could speak. "Yes, I know I shouldn't have a real weapon with me. It's one of my grandfather's decorations, a real dangerous one at that. Putting that aside, are you crazy?!"

"For what?" SuperStarmon chuckled, a hand over his injury. "You've got to admit, between us, I'm the stronger one. But I never imagined you'd be the more reckless one."

"What if you had gotten killed? Think about how Yuu would feel!" Cody chided.

"That's how I knew I'd survive," SuperStarmon grinned despite not having a visible mouth. "I want to have more fun with my partner, more laughs, more silly banter; more of that kind of stuff. I couldn't care less about justice or saving the world. But if it meant getting to spend another day with my best friend, then I'll do it."

As sweet of a sentiment as that was, Cody couldn't help thinking that it was selfish. "Just because our sense in justice is so different doesn't mean you should disregard it like that. Our worlds need heroes because without us, we'd lose everything."

"Yuu _is_ everything to me," SuperStarmon responded to the boy. "If you keep thinking about what the whole world needs, you'll forget what _your_ everything needs. For you, isn't that your friends, your family, and Armadillomon? And if they lost you, they'd be upset too, right?"

The pieces fell into place here. "You threw yourself into danger to teach me a lesson?" Cody half-smiled. "To tell me that I'm disregarding my own life by thinking justice only meant punishing the guilty. Protecting the innocent…"

"It doesn't only mean their lives," SuperStarmon continued. "But their happiness. And you are part of that."

So the reference to the Chinatown episode was referring to not letting the fight against evil detract from enjoying life. When he had been so focused on stopping BlackWarGreymon, the others were thinking about getting some grub at Digitamamon's restaurant. It was a lot like that day four years ago. How could he forget?

"Submarimon!" Cody gasped when he saw his partner fly out of the water with a splash.

The aquatic Digimon returned to his Rookie form, landing close enough to Cody to hold in his free arm. He ended up floating away a bit when Neptunemon resurfaced, causing giant ripples to form from his body and push away the Chosen Child and his allies.

"Sorry Cody," Armadillomon groaned. "He's just too strong for me."

The boy rubbed his partner's head. "Don't be. I'm the one who pressured you into rushing into battle to end things as quickly as possible. It was wrong of me."

Before the moment could get mushy, Neptunemon pointed his dangerous-looking spear down at the puny beings in front of him. If he wanted to, he could have a kebab. "I'll be sure to end this quick though I can promise you that it won't be painless. After this, the Demon Lords will grant me a chance to take revenge on that damned Red General."

"I can't let you do that," Cody glared. This wasn't about protecting the world because it was the right thing though it was part of it. If this guy was targeting Taiki, a friend of his, then he couldn't just stand by. "There are people back home waiting for me and Taiki and everyone else to come home. I won't let you break their hearts by dying here."

"Big talk from a small boy," Neptunemon scoffed as he reeled back his weapon. "Die!"

What Cody needed right now was to protect his partner and Armadillomon felt the same way. So right before the spear could be jabbed in their direction, a bright yellow glow burst out from the boy's chest, blinding their enemy and bathing everyone else in the Area in warmth. There was a symbol shaped like an uppercase T with triangles hanging from each end, making it look like a child-drawn scale. One word came to mind here, justice.

"Angemon Data: 100%," a voice from inside one of SuperStarmon's pockets chimed. A holographic image of the angel Digimon appeared; performed one rotation before breaking apart into data particles and flowing into the yellow D-3. "Transfer complete."

"Whoops, I forgot I had that in there," SuperStarmon remarked. "I found it during my travels in the Digital World. Heard he used to be a friend of one of Nene's partners and he told me that he wanted to help protect the world one day. Stubborn fellow, refused to die completely so I decided to just bring him along."

Cody didn't really need that explanation at that moment. But either way, he knew exactly what to do now that he actually had Angemon data with him. "Armadillomon!"

"Right!" the Rookie nodded before being enveloped in the glow. "Armadillomon DNA Digivolve to…" From the hard-shelled mammal Digimon, he grew in size exponentially until he became a massive, floating clay doll that hovered just above the water's surface. It's been so long since Cody saw his partner in this form that it nearly surprised him to see him so big again. "Shakkoumon!"

"Just because you've reached a higher level doesn't mean I'm going to lose!" Neptunemon snarled. "Wave of Depth!"

"Let's get out of here!" SuperStarmon yelped as the tidal wave came towards them.

Shakkoumon raised his arms so that they were perpendicular to his body as his torso started rotating wickedly fast. Since this was a tidal wave and not an energy based attack, he would have a hard time absorbing it so instead, he just let the wave blast through him, not even making a dent on his hardened body and because of his rotations, there was no harm done to his comrades.

"You blocked it?!" Neptunemon gasped.

"I won't forgive anyone who threatens my partner," Shakkoumon stated. "Prepare to face justice! Kachina Bombs!"

As explosive clay disks were rapid-fired at Neptunemon, Cody and SuperStarmon swam towards a tree that had not been completely submerged in the water. They did keep one eye on the fight that was occurring behind him. After all, a powerful ally did not mean a guaranteed victory.

This was proven as Neptunemon began making multiple strikes in the air with his spear, destroying the disks before they could even reach him. The final stab was aimed for his opponent. "Vortex Penetrate!" The weapon came flying like a sentient projectile, as it chased Shakkoumon around no matter where the holy Digimon flew.

Shakkoumon rotated only his head 180 degrees so that he could look backwards at the biting spear while simultaneously flying forward. "Justice Beam!" From his eyes, he fired powerful lasers that blasted the weapon away, sending it buzzing back to its owner… who was no longer where they thought he was.

"Above you!" Cody cried out.

Shakkoumon had no time to look up or move out of the way as Neptunemon came crashing down, tail first, on top of the clay doll, smashing down on his head. The Olympian was now pushing him deeper underwater to keep him from resurfacing which was definitely bad news for them. While Shakkoumon could go hours without air, underwater was not his strong suit and he would certainly lose if he stayed under for too long against a sea creature like Neptunemon.

Shakkoumon was doing his best to get back onto the surface but it clearly wasn't working when he had Neptunemon's hands around his massive throat, holding him in the water. However, Cody's partner was able to keep part of Neptunemon above the surface, leaving his back exposed.

"He'll be able to sense an attack from me," SuperStarmon grimaced. "If I launch a Halley's Squall and he dodges, it'll only hurt Shakkoumon."

Cody took a moment to think about it. After all, while he had the crest of justice, he had inherited the crests of knowledge and reliability before that. "SuperStarmon… I weigh approximately fifty-two kilograms." This was met with a puzzled expression which was an impressive feat for someone whose eyes were covered. "Throw me."

"Excuse me? What did we _just_ talk about?"

"Just trust me."

This plan was absolutely nuts which were usually SuperStarmon's favorite kinds of plans. But this was a really bad kind of nuts. Still, they didn't have many options so with his good arm, he grabbed Cody's wrist and flung the boy over the body of water.

Neptunemon couldn't sense the presence approaching him nor could he hear it because of all the splashing. So he didn't even realize Cody was there until the boy landed on his back, sword drawn. The merman quickly turned his body to fling the boy off but as Cody fell, he threw the blade right into one of Neptunemon's eyes.

"Now!" Cody shouted a second before he hit the water.

"Halley's Squall!"

"Justice Beam!"

Neptunemon was pelted from the front and the back before bursting into data. "I will have my revenge on the Xros Heart Army one day! Mark my words!" He yelled as the water levels dropped, slowly returning the Area to how it looked before the flood.

"That… was crazy…," Shakkoumon huffed.

"Uh… guys?" SuperStarmon called out. Turns out that the tree he had been on was skyscraper tall. "How do I get down?"

After getting him back down, they took a moment to catch their breaths after the hectic time they had in that Area. Cody was glad that his partner was stronger because it meant he would be able to protect everyone better. But not just because it was something he had to do, but _wanted_ to do.

"Hey, SuperStarmon, whatever happened to that cousin of yours?" Cody inquired.

SuperStarmon shrugged. "Not sure. The mass of land that I was on broke off and I was separated from him. But I'd like to think that he learned that justice should be something you _want_ to take part in, not something you have to."

The trio noticed another eyeball appear but they weren't forced into it like they had been before. When they looked out of it, they could see a snowy landscape awaiting them. Was this… the outside? Had they already completed their trials?

 **December 21: Darkness Area – 10:08 AM**

Yuu and Damemon found themselves in pitch black darkness so they couldn't tell if they were even standing on a floor or if they simply weren't falling down a bottomless pit. They had no idea where they were but they did know that it was chilly there.

"I'm guessing this is the Darkness Area," Damemon mumbled.

The human thought back to the tales that the Warriors had sewn together about their adventures. This place had a very special spot in Kouji's heart because this is when he had first fusion evolved and where he had a near final showdown with Duskmon, Kouichi at the time. So who was the enemy this time? Well, the chill running down his spine was a good enough answer as any.

"NeoMyotismon," Yuu called out. "I know you're here. Show yourself!"

For a long moment, there was silence. And then, it was broken by a slow applause. When the teenager turned to the direction of the clapping, he had to cover his mouth to keep from vomiting. Suzie, Kazu, and Yutaka greeted him on crucifixes, stripped half naked and bleeding from almost every part of their body.

"They lost consciousness after losing so much blood," NeoMyotismon stated, appearing behind the captured humans. "Surprisingly, the little girl survived the longest."

That also meant that she suffered the most which was evident from the fact that it looked like Suzie was dipped into a vat of dark red paint while the others were still recognizable. "How could you do something like this? It's… awful…"

The vampire cocked his head to the side. "Well, then they shouldn't have tested my patience. It was annoying, you know. Listening to them talk about how the other humans would come to save them. I've never had such rambunctious prisoners."

Damemon was clenching down on his teeth so hard that they could've shattered. "You monster…"

"I'll get you for this!" Yuu snapped as he produced his X-Loader. "Damemon Super Evolve!"

Without even waiting or calling out his name, Tsuwamon just shot forward as soon as the evolution process had been complete. The mantis Digimon drew his sickles and slashed with them in an X shape but his blades were deflected. Not by NeoMyotismon, but by the axe of Antylamon and the spinning blade of Andromon.

"What?!" Tsuwamon gasped in English. "NeoMyotismon, what did you do to them!"

The Dark General's shoulders bounced up and down as he started cackling. "Oh, nothing much. I just did a little reprogramming; the influences of this Area did the rest."

"You dirty scoundrel!" Tsuwamon scowled.

"Reload Allomon and RookChessmon!" Yuu called out, bringing out his other allies to assist in the battle. His army wasn't nearly as big as the others since he didn't like doing a lot of Hunting but he did have one more powerhouse on him. "Digi-Xros! Tsuwamon! SkullGreymon!"

Like that time at the graveyard, Tsuwamon took up some skeletal armor before charging forward, once again skipping his new title in favor of taking down NeoMyotismon. Antylamon attempted to get in the way but her axes were stopped in their tracks by RookChessmon. And when Andromon tried to use his Lightning Blade attack, it was countered by the fireball that Allomon produced. So there was nothing but a clear shot at his target for Tsuwamon.

"Skeleton Mantis Dance!"

NeoMyotismon was slashed over and over again until he was chopped limb from limb. It was a rather sickening sight but what made it worse was knowing that even this would not be enough to defeat the undead Digimon as he repaired himself in an instant.

"Was that all?" NeoMyotismon smirked, fangs gleaming despite the lack of light. "Blue Obliteration!" His claws extended and grabbed the golden ninja, tearing him right in half much to the horror of onlookers. Granted, he would never go down that easily as he suddenly appeared, in one piece, right over his foe's head.

"Did you forget about my substitution ninjutsu?" Tsuwamon stated before producing cloth from out of nowhere. "Digi Ninja Art: Furoshiki Wrapping!" Once he had his enemy tied up in a cloth sack, he knew he had to act quickly and finish this in one move or else NeoMyotismon would just end up regenerating once more. "Digi Skull Art: Hermit Restoration!"

Compared to the partners of other Hunters, Tsuwamon was unique in the fact that he could undo his Digi-Xroses without the help of Yuu. So in a flash of white light, SkullGreymon suddenly appeared over the head of the vampire, aiming the missile on his back downwards.

"Double Dark Shot!"

Yuu covered his eyes and mouth to keep the dust and debris from flying into them though he had to say that he was grateful for having such wonderful partners. They were not only able to subdue Andromon and Antylamon easily (would've been harder if their Tamers were actually being manipulated as well) but Tsuwamon was able to think of an excellent plan to corner and obliterate the Dark General. But there was one thing troubling him…

"How is he able to regenerate at all?" Yuu wondered aloud. Three years ago, the reason why NeoMyotismon could regenerate was because of absorbing… Lopmon!

From the dust cloud, NeoMyotismon's claw stretched out and grabbed SkullGreymon by the face, throwing the dark dragon into the ground along with Tsuwamon. The undead Digimon's laughter echoed through the room as he rose like a phoenix. Not only that, but Antylamon escaped her restraints and landed a kick right under RookChessmon's jaw, sending the giant chess piece flying.

"Bunny Blades!" Antylamon changed her target to Allomon, cutting into the dinosaur throat and he would've been deleted if Yuu hadn't reacted quickly and returned him to his digivice. But he should've known it wouldn't be easy to restrain the Digimon Princess's partner.

"Lopmon have special healing properties so they can help me repair my wounds incredibly fast," NeoMyotismon laughed as he stood next to the bunny. "But Antylamon are even better! But to make this the best deal ever, this one happens to be the Deva! Oh, how rich! One of the loyal servants of the Sovereign has started serving me!"

"You've connected yourself to Suzie's partner?" Yuu shook.

Tsuwamon pushed himself out from underneath the heavy SkullGreymon. "But this means… if we destroy NeoMyotismon enough…"

"We'll be destroying Antylamon," Yuu finished.

 **December 21: Wind Area** **– 10:17 AM**

EmperorGreymon joined Ophanimon in the sky, drawing his broadsword and clashing with Darkdramon in the sky. But this foe had been confident in his victory for good reason, he had enough speed to keep up with both of his opponents despite the fact that they should be directly below the combat level of a Royal Knight. Not only that, but he possessed the raw power to knock them back with a single kick to the gut.

"And Mr. McCoy fought this guy way back when?!" EmperorGreymon grunted.

"Janyu was actually the person who fought him!" Glare corrected. "And he wasn't nearly as powerful back then!"

The Legendary Warrior didn't really need any clarification, what he needed to know was this guy's weak point. "Let's try this! Dragonfire Crossbow!"

White hot arrows were fired from EmperorGreymon's weapon but Darkdramon countered using his Dark Roar attack which deflected all the projectiles before they hit him. But this gave Ophanimon an opening as she rocketed forward and downwards with her javelin. Unfortunately, her holy lance was blocked by his blade.

"Try that again, I dare you," Darkdramon smirked before digging his knee into the angel's exposed stomach. EmperorGreymon tried to assist but by the time he had reached the pair, their enemy had already slammed his elbow into the back of Ophanimon's head, sending her straight down to the ground.

"Ophanimon!" Glare gasped, concerned for his partner.

"You'll pay for that!" EmperorGreymon roared. "Dragon Soul Sword!"

"Gigastick Lance!" Darkdramon leered, blocking the blade. "Shall we see which of our weapons is superior?"

The Legendary Warrior didn't need to nor did he want to know. After all, supposedly, Darkdramon's blade rivaled that of the Royal Knight's, Gallantmon. According to Marcus, the paladin was probably, at most, the fourth strongest among the Knights. Seeing how much trouble he had just taking on one of the weaker ones, Dynasmon, three years ago, was enough evidence to show who was stronger between Darkdramon and EmperorGreymon.

"The strength of your weapon doesn't matter here," EmperorGreymon stated as they pulled back so that they were a few meters away from each other. The dragon jabbed a thumb at his chest. "It's about the strength of your convictions and that's what'll determine the victor in this match."

Darkdramon scoffed, not buying it. "We'll see about that."

Glare helped Ophanimon back to her feet as they watched the scene unfold above their heads. Both fighters were slowly circling around, silently daring the other to make the first move as they kept their weapons at their sides. The tension in the air was enough to make anyone feel nervous about the outcome.

"I hope he didn't get overconfident from that power boost," Glare gulped.

"Don't worry, he seems like a trustworthy character," Ophanimon huffed.

As if someone shot a pistol to signal the start of a race, EmperorGreymon and Darkdramon twisted their blades and shot towards each other. However, when Darkdramon slashed thin air, he realized that the Warrior's aim was not, in fact, him.

EmperorGreymon landed on the ground beside Glare and stabbed the soil with his sword. The Area became hot as eight lines expanded outwards from his weapon, cracking open the ground and taking the shape of flaming dragons. "Pyro Dragons!"

Ophanimon quickly raised her hands so that one was right above her pelvis, palm facing up, and the other was at her bosom, palm facing down. Ten crystals appeared in a Sephiroth formation, the same shape that was Sukkakumon if each sparkling gem was an Area. "Sephiroth Crystals!"

Each gem took a place on one of the nine flaming dragon's foreheads while the tenth exploded like a flash bang, temporarily blinding Darkdramon and stunning him. That moment was all that was needed for all nine dragons to pass through his body one by one until the last one, EmperorGreymon himself, soared through with his broadsword swinging. The final slash cut open their foe and left behind a silhouette and a Fractal code.

"Prepare to be purified in the flame!" said EmperorGreymon, taking the code into his D-Tector. And finally, the fight was over.

When the Legendary Warrior landed on the ground, returning back to his human form, they noticed that two eyeballs had appeared nearby. One of them revealed nothing while the other showed the outside world where Cody, Keenan, a woman he'd never met, and a couple of Digimon were staring up at them.

"Julia!" Glare blinked, looking out the eyeball.

"Ah, I figured she was a comrade of yours," Takuya chuckled breathlessly. He had a lot of questions for this stranger and he knew in his heart that he shouldn't trust this man so easily. But there really wasn't much of a choice here. "I need you to do me a favor."

 **December 21: Blizzard Fields – 10:23 AM**

When Keenan and Julia flew out of Sakkakumon on top of Crowmon, they saw Cody, Armadillomon, and SuperStarmon all plummet several meters into the cold snow. What was worse was that they were all wet so landing in these freezing temperatures could not have been good for them. That made their first priority to warm them up.

As they were snuggling into the blankets from Keenan's bag, they spoke to Julia about information they didn't have. Apparently, after Robert McCoy's travels thirty to forty years ago, Glare and Julia had to be recalibrated and they weren't reborn until thirty-two years ago, which was their current age.

Despite being humans, they lived in the Digital World, a place known as Digital City specifically. Supposedly, there was a fifth version of the Digital World that had not been ruled by any Sovereign though it is believed to be the resting place of Huanglongmon.

City was divided into two factions, Light Fang and Night Crow, with Glare and Julia serving as chiefs respectively for the last twenty years. Five years ago, right after the defeat of Yggdrasil, remaining data of this digital god found itself in City, becoming a fearsome creature that threatened everyone in City and their way of life. Koh and Sayo, novice Tamers of opposing factions, joined forces to drive out the evil force taking over Night Crow, slowly making names for themselves as the best.

"This is way too elaborate to be made up," SuperStarmon muttered.

Cody was still a little skeptical but he had to agree. The story was so specific in some places where Julia had personal experience that it was hard not to believe her. "So why are you here?"

"City was destroyed by Belphemon," Julia explained. "There were few survivors. We took refuge at Shoutmon's Kingdom Town where we were asked by the Celestial Angels to find the Chosen Children who would be arriving in this world soon. However, Glare and I got caught up in Sakkakumon's Thunder Area. We eliminated the hordes of Thundermon though and then proceeded to find you guys."

Keenan blinked, pointing his head up towards Sukkakumon when he noticed something from his periphery. "Hey, it's Risa!"

In the arms of Ophanimon, Glare floated down to meet the others with an unconscious Risa accompanying him. Once they were all together, they were told that Takuya had chosen to remain inside in order to confront the Warrior of Steel who should be waiting for him in either the Steel or Light Areas. But SuperStarmon and Cody were concerned about Yuu, where was he?

But when they looked back up, at the center orb with the crest of light emblazoned onto it, they let out a gasp. Yuu stood there with his partners by his side, facing NeoMyotismon and two very familiar Ultimate Digimon.

But that wasn't the worst part.

Behind the dark general were three wooden boards shaped like crosses, and bound to those crosses by chains digging into their skin, were three bloody humans. It was a horrendous sight, especially knowing that Suzie was one of the youngest people to come with them to the Digital World and she was the one who was hurt the most. Not to mention the fact that Yutaka shouldn't have even come to this world in the first place.

"What did that jerk do to them?!" Cody trembled. A raging fire burning in his soul.

"Yuu can't win against NeoMyotismon by himself!" SuperStarmon added, panic rising in his voice which was unusual for the usually laidback Digimon. "We have to help him!"

But how? As far as they knew, Yuu and his partners were on their own. Just like how Takuya was going to be on his own when he went up to take on the Warrior of Steel. And even if those two humans succeeded in their individual missions, they all knew that Sakkakumon was going to come alive with data on each and every one of them. This was likely their toughest battle ever.

-X-

 **Shakkoumon has made his appearance! But things aren't looking so good with our captives or with Yuu. Will Takuya and Yuu be able to survive their final trials? And even if they do, will the brought-together group be able to take down Sakkakumon? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, more to come soon. I know it's an early update but that's what happens when you're home for summer vacation! I've got a lot of free time on my hands while my sister is at school. Anyway, don't forget to leave a review and I will see you guys in the next chapter! Later, my peeps!**


	15. Dancing in the Dark

**Zero Unit:** Hey Keenan, I've got a question for you. After returning to the human world to stay, what was it like?

 **Keenan:** What do you mean exactly?

 **Zero Unit:** Well, not only did you have to get used to all of the things in the human world that were not in the Digital World, but you had to learn a bunch of stuff to be on the same grade level as other ten year olds, right? What was that like?

 **Keenan:** It wasn't so bad. I had Thomas to tutor me in his free time and Kristy was always around to help me out. I admit, I did suffer from homesickness a lot despite technically being home. Oh, but Kristy did take me to my first festival one summer.

 **Yolei:** Now that I think about it, I can't remember my first festival…

 **Kiriha:** That's true, for most of us; we've probably gone to our first ones in our toddler years. It's no wonder we wouldn't be able remember it very clearly.

 **Davis:** I remember getting my first taste of takoyaki at a festival. Oh, and winning a goldfish.

 **Jun:** I won it, not you.

 **Zoey:** Well, we don't do festivals in Italy the same way we do it in Japan. So for me, my first official festival was the one that Takuya and the others took me to. I had a lot of fun with everybody and even though the Welcome Festival wasn't too long ago, I kind of want to have another.

 **Tai:** With all this talk about festivals, it can't really be helped. How about we have one after we save the worlds?

 **Veemon:** Will there be food?

 **Davis:** I can work a ramen stand!

 **Hideaki:** I'll handle a takoyaki stand!

 **Guilmon:** Oh… now I'm hungry.

 **Terriermon:** You're always hungry!

 **Keenan:** I'm sure it'll be lots of fun. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Right now, it's about the readers enjoying a brand new chapter. We hope you all enjoy it!

-X-

 **December 21: Earth Area – 10:23 AM**

Takuya found himself in a place that was all solid dirt, rocks, and boulders. He had asked Glare to keep Risa safe while he went to face the Warrior of Steel. If it was anything like last time, then he would find Mercurymon waiting for him at the top. But this time, he shouldn't have Seraphimon's data so that should be a plus.

But the Warrior of Fire was also heavily fatigued from all the battling he had already done to get to this point. He wasn't good with math nor did he know how many Areas his comrades had conquered but if the ones outside each took out one or two like him, then after this barren wasteland should be the Light Area.

"Well?" the teenager called out. "I know someone's out here waiting! Come out so I can beat you!"

The boy jerked his head to the side when he heard slow steps walking towards him. They sounded heavy and they dragged across the dirt. Judging from the intervals between each step, Takuya could tell that whatever it was, it was bipedal and taking large steps.

Takuya pinpointed his foe with his heightened eyesight, seeing the dark, grotesque form of an anthropomorphic lion approaching him from several meters away. The creature's eyes were red and held absolutely nothing in them, as if they belonged to a body with no soul. Bones protruded out from his shoulders and his chest while his dark mane spread out like a bushy mess on his head, down to his back.

All in all, the only word Takuya could use to describe this creature was mad. And not of the emotional variety.

 **Digital Analyzer** : MadLeomon is an undead Digimon who sacrificed all of his intelligence in order to increase his combat skills. As a Leomon, he heaped modification after modification until he developed this horrid appearance, even losing his own level in his quest for power. While he has lost his ability of conscious thought, be wary for his bloodlust is enough to drive him forward and back any opponent into a corner. The deadly poison in his claws aide him in this as well.

"I never thought I'd say this," Takuya grimaced. "But I wish I was staring at an Ogremon at this moment." The boy reached for his D-Tector when he saw MadLeomon suddenly throw a punch that caused the air to ripple in his direction. "Whoa!"

"Beast Blaster!"

This must've been MadLeomon's version of the Fist of the Beast King. Takuya had no time to evolve so instead, he jumped over the energy blast.

"What is with that speed?" Takuya muttered.

In response, MadLeomon stampeded forward, shaking the ground that the brunet no longer stood upon but he could see it trembling in the lion's wake. With a single leap, MadLeomon closed the distance between himself and the airborne human, ready to slash with his poisonous claws.

"Not good!" the Warrior grunted as he produced some flames in his hands. He was able to simultaneously use his blazing fists to knock himself out of harm's way and singe his opponent's fur. And while this may seem like a good thing, MadLeomon seemed to only get angrier.

The pair landed on the ground opposite of each other. Takuya knew that this creature was significantly weaker than his previous enemy, Darkdramon, and probably easier to take down than the cunning Mercurymon. Yet, compared to those other two, this one just made the boy feel more cautious than usual.

Was it this foreboding sense that something bad would happen if he let his guard down? No, almost every powerful enemy he fought gave off that vibe.

MadLeomon sniffed the air before baring his fangs and snarling at Takuya. Was it homicidal or simply territorial? Takuya prayed it wasn't both. "You reek like the Red General that destroyed me in my past life. I will be sure to rip you apart piece by piece." Oh, okay, so he was vengeful as well.

But wait, this meant that this guy was the same enemy that Taiki had fought three years ago. As a matter of fact, it was the first enemy that Taiki ever fought three years ago. That didn't make much sense since, according to Wisemon, after collecting all the Code Crowns, most of the Bagra Army should've been reborn to start a new life as good guys. Did something go wrong or perhaps… the Demon Lords had something to do with this.

"The best kinds of opponents for a Chosen Child would be one with a grudge against us, after all," Takuya sighed, reminded of Izzy's theory as to why the Demon Lords were going to all the trouble of bringing back their old foes. "But if Taiki can take you down at the start of his journey, I can defeat you after the end of mine."

This statement should've been true but every time he reached for his D-Tector, he was interrupted by MadLeomon either firing an energy blast from his fist or lunging forward at mind-blowing speeds. This guy's scary looks weren't just for show. He was legitimately terrifying.

"If you can't spirit evolve, you won't stand a chance against me," MadLeomon smirked as Takuya dodged another fist.

"I'm done for if just one of those hit me!" Takuya yelped as he rolled out of the way. "But I don't plan on getting clobbered today!"

That was a nice thought, but he wasn't strong enough in his human form to take out this Digimon. Not to mention, the amount of flames he could produce was enough to light the way through a dark tunnel, not enough to do a reasonable amount of damage to a Digimon higher than a Rookie level.

MadLeomon finally landed a kick to Takuya's chest, sending the poor boy flying. "Is running all you're good for?"

"Execute Spirit Evolution!"

Takuya had taken the hit on purpose despite the five or six broken ribs it cost. If he was knocked out of the way by his own enemy, he could digivolve. Unfortunately, he wasn't quite sure it was worth it as he found himself in the form of Agunimon, but with an aching chest.

"That measly armor won't do much!" MadLeomon smiled maliciously. "Beast Blaster!"

Agunimon reacted fast, surrounding himself in a flaming twister. "Pyro Tornado!" It was definitely his unlucky day as the blast was strong enough to blow away his defenses, and once again, send him flying away and into a stone pillar.

"So this is all that a Legendary Warrior is capable of?!" MadLeomon roared as he was in front of Agunimon in mere seconds.

The Warrior of Fire could feel his armor shatter as a fist, the size of his torso, came crashing into his body. It wasn't just the hard material on his body that was breaking, but the bones of the human host felt like they were being crunched as well. The boy had never felt this much pain before and he took a moment to wonder if this was even close to the level of pain that a novice MMA fighter would feel against a pro in the ring.

" _This is bad_ ," the spirit of Agunimon grunted.

" _Quick, slide evolve into me!_ " BurningGreymon shouted.

The physical form of the Warrior was unable to answer though as Agunimon was being pelted by a flurry of fists, hitting every single one of his body parts. It was like he had become this lion's personal punching bag and there was no way out as he felt every part of him break. But after a while, MadLeomon began to slow down, even his wide smile was beginning to disappear.

"What's going on?" MadLeomon growled, jerking his head around. "That scent…" Suddenly, he jumped backwards when he felt something boiling touch his toes. "Wh-What?"

Agunimon slowly took a step forward, away from the stone pillar he had been held up against. The dark bipedal creature could only stare in shock when he saw that instead of solid rock, there was molten lava oozing down from the pillar and onto the ground.

"This may not be my domain," Agunimon huffed, trying to force his body to listen to him. "But simply by melting every rock here, I can change that."

MadLeomon didn't take this threat very seriously though. "Do you really think I'm scared of a little lava? I can still hit you without having to reach you! Beast Blaster!"

Agunimon rolled sideways, biting down on his teeth when he felt pain coursing through his entire body. But he was going to have to bear it as he changed into his beast spirit while rolling. In this new form, he was much faster so without wasting even a fraction of a second, he flew off behind the pillar and slammed his foot into it, causing it to tip and fall in MadLeomon's direction.

The hunk of rock was probably over one hundred meters tall with a diameter of maybe ten meters. But as it tipped, MadLeomon clenched his fist and shattered the pillar in a single punch, having only jagged stones harmlessly rain down on his furry body. But thankfully, this was enough time for the Legendary Warrior to change into his strongest form, EmperorGreymon.

"Just because you change your costume doesn't mean you can beat me," said MadLeomon. "You're already at death's door thanks to me."

EmperorGreymon reached for his back and drew his broadsword, stabbing the ground with it. "Is that what you think? You know, I've gotten stronger in the past three years. No matter what injuries you may inflict upon me, I will be sure to defeat you."

MadLeomon was about to make a comeback when he realized that the whole place had gotten warmer and his fur was starting to get sticky due to the humidity. "What's going on?!" The entire Area was starting to waver and unless there was something wrong with his eyes, every rock was slowly melting. "This heat, this pressure, how did you attain the power to do this?!"

"It's as I said," stated EmperorGreymon. "I will make this place my domain. Additionally, this place will also be made your grave."

The leonine Digimon's fists were so tight that if he were human, he would be bleeding. "I haven't lost yet! Poison Claw!"

Like a hunter, he pounced, but the Legendary Warrior was ready. "Dragon Crusher!" His weapon exploded in a blaze in the shape of a dragon's head as he countered his enemy's claw, smashing right through and cutting MadLeomon in two.

"I've lost… again…," were the creature's last words as his data dispersed into the air.

"The air reeks worse than before," EmperorGreymon sniffed. The fact that there was no Fractal code meant one thing for certain, this deletion was permanent. Whatever the Demon Lords had done, there was no turning back for this Digimon. "I won't die… Not until I defeat you again, Lucemon."

 **December 21: Darkness Area – 10:23 AM**

For the last couple of minutes, the best they could do was keep NeoMyotismon from killing them as he sent volleys of LadyDevimon to attack from the shadows. They couldn't defeat the main boss without destroying Suzie's partner and they could barely protect themselves at this rate. At this point, all of Yuu's partners had gone back into the X-Loader except for Tsuwamon. But there were only so many combinations to run through.

"What do I do?" Yuu huffed.

Tsuwamon, at the current moment, was forced to move into the defensive. So while he was fused with RookChessmon, he was creating golden walls with electrified thread covering the gaps that could protect them from the seemingly endless waves of enemies. The best this was going to do was buy them some time.

"Oh?" NeoMyotismon laughed. "Are you going to abandon your friends? I can't kill the female Tamer or else the Deva will return to her base form, but unless you come out in the next sixty seconds, I will be sure to erase the other two humans from existence!"

"Don't you dare!" Tsuwamon snapped.

Yuu looked at the screen on his digivice and knew that everyone else was too tired or injured to continue fighting let alone moving. The best choice might be SkullGreymon since he had the most power and he was the most rested. But how long would that last them?

The teenager whipped his head around while his partner tried to gather his breath. The boy stopped when he noticed a space through the electrified web. Through the lines and past the batty ladies, he could actually see what appeared to be a window to the outside.

"Is that… the others…?" he murmured to himself.

Cody, Keenan, and two others stood up in the snow with the digivices raised to the sky and glowing. It was like they were trying to send him a message through the lights but he just wasn't quite sure what that message was supposed to say.

The Dark General brought his attention back to him. "Twenty seconds left."

There was a clue as to how he could come out victorious in his allies' message; he just had to decipher it but how? That's when his eyes landed on Cody again. There were several times in the brunet's adventures when there was at least one Chosen Child holding up their digivice and assisting that way. Was that it? A bright enough light to dispel the darkness? After all, if there was any General that embodied darkness, it would be NeoMyotismon, right?

"We're running out of time!" Tsuwamon snapped, trying to get his partner to do something.

NeoDevimon's claws were closing in around the vulnerable necks of Kazu and Yutaka, ever so slowly. "Ten seconds left…"

Yuu didn't know what to do and he would've shouted out some random command if Kazu's voice hadn't just boomed through the darkness. It startled everyone, including NeoMyotismon who reeled back in surprise, effectively keeping the two high school boys from getting beheaded by him.

"Take their partners to use as your own!" the Tamer bellowed.

"As my own?" Yuu repeated before realizing what he had to do.

Tsuwamon tossed one of his sickles over to the boy so that he could cut through the threads before lunging forward, swiping left and right with the weapon to keep the fallen angels from sinking their nails into him. Once he was at the window, showing him the outside, he pointed his X-Loader at it. Four bright lights shot out from below and into his digivice before he pointed it back out towards NeoMyotismon.

The vampire was about to lose his chance at deleting a human so he reached forward to impale Kazu's skull when a bird-man flew in, kicking him in the chest. The rest of the enemy Digimon were beaten back by more allies by the names of Shakkoumon, Ophanimon, and ChaosGallantmon.

"Ravemon!" Tsuwamon gasped. "You came to save us!" Just in time too, his Xros just broke apart which meant the defensive walls were crumbling down.

While Ravemon kept the Dark General occupied, ChaosGallantmon and Ophanimon were beating back LadyDevimon from every direction while simultaneously doing battle with Andromon and Antylamon respectively. Shakkoumon was doing his best to assist everyone while Yuu and Tsuwamon dove through the mess in order to free the captives.

"Are you okay?" Yuu asked as he broke Kazu's chains with the sickle. "How did you know what they were trying to tell me?"

Kazu fell off the crucifix and into the younger boy's arms. His cuts stung like crazy but this was no time to whine about it. "I didn't. But as a Digimon super-fan, I was able to remember that the X-Loader has the function of accepting other Digimon inside so long as they're willing. And I was certain that someone as smart and resourceful as Cody would've figured that out too."

So there were benefits to being an otaku. "Thanks, you saved our skin."

"It can't always be Kenta," Kazu grinned, wiping the blood leaking out of his nose. "People will start to think I'm his sidekick or something. But more importantly…" The boy looked up at his partner, clashing blades with ChaosGallantmon. "Andromon! Snap out of it!"

The robot didn't listen to his own Tamer though. "Lightning Blade!"

ChaosGallantmon lifted his shield and deflected the attack. The dark knight knew he shouldn't destroy the Ultimate, of course. But if this kept up, he was going to lose his temper. It was hard enough just trying to keep a bunch of undead off his back. Lucky for him, they were incapable of regenerating like the ones the Generals had to face three years ago. It seemed Antylamon's quick healing properties were only selfishly being used by NeoMyotismon.

"I can't keep this up forever," ChaosGallantmon huffed. "Well, I can. But it's better not to test my patience."

"I don't even know who you are," Kazu muttered. "Yuu, can you get my D-Power and my deck? I think NeoDevimon left them inside his coffin."

Yuu blinked, glancing around the room. "His coffin?" His eyes landed on the rectangular box that was maybe one meter away from NeoMyotismon's fight with Ravemon. It was going to be dangerous, but if it meant freeing Andromon from mind control, it would be worth it. "Got it."

NeoMyotismon overheard this so obviously, he was going to stop the Hunter from getting close but Ravemon had heard as well. "I won't let you get past me!" Ravemon huffed before expanding his wings and creating a partition between the Dark General and the human. "Crimson Formation!"

"Out of my way!" the undead Digimon glowered. "Nightmare Leeches!" The intimidating creature summoned his familiar spirits which attached themselves onto the bird-man, sucking away at his life energy. However, no matter how much it hurt, Ravemon was not about to budge, he had to resist this pain until Yuu reached the D-Power and the cards.

"Thank you, Ravemon," Yuu breathed, grabbing the objects he needed and returning to Kazu at top speed. "Here."

As Kazu slid a card through the device, Ravemon returned to being Falcomon, tumbling to a stop at Yuu's feet. "Digi-Modify… Hard Drive Wipe… Activate…" Andromon stopped mid-attack and abruptly shrunk down in size, turning into a little black dragon made up of Lego blocks. "ShadowToyAgumon… This is… probably the worst time to see your Rookie form for the first time…"

NeoDevimon's claws shot forward, nearly striking the two defenseless humans if Tsuwamon hadn't dropped Yutaka and blocked them with his sickle. Unfortunately, the power difference was far too great, making deep cuts into the mantis Digimon. Since he had already expended much of his energy earlier, he returned to being just Damemon.

"Well, this isn't good, not good at all!" Damemon moaned.

"We need to get out of here!" Falcomon added. "Firecracker Smokescreen!"

NeoMyotismon waved his arms around to blow away the smoke but in the midst of the confusion, Yuu was able to free Suzie from her chains. But here came another unfortunate problem. They didn't have enough arms to carry them all to safety.

NeoMyotismon grabbed Suzie and Antylamon, pulling them away from the bloody mess. "I'll be taking these two!"

"No, Suzie!" Yuu shouted just as the Dark General disappeared into a portal.

Ophanimon, ChaosGallantmon, and Shakkoumon quickly joined the rest of the group before facing the hordes of LadyDevimon once more. "Sephiroth Crystal!" "Judecca Prison!" "Kachina Bombs!" With those explosions, there were no more enemies to face within the Area.

"Why did he escape?" Kazu frowned. "And why did he take Suzie with him?"

Ophanimon answered that question. "It is because ChaosGallantmon and I are here. I do not mean to say this to be cold, but due to the circumstances; our best course of action would've been to destroy Antylamon. However, she and her partner, are important to NeoDevimon because it would allow him to regenerate an indefinite amount of times."

"True, NeoMyotismon did say that," Yuu nodded.

"But… even though we're alive…," Falcomon started, staring at the spot where Suzie had been. "What are we… going to tell Henry and the rest of her family?"

They all knew the answer. Despite how bad it was, there was no choice but to tell the truth to the Wong family since they deserved nothing less. But that didn't make it any less heartbreaking. "This is really not good," said Damemon. "Not good at all…"

 **December 21: Earth Area – 10:39 AM**

EmperorGreymon had to wonder why the Warrior of Steel was allowing him this five minute break to heal his wounds and broken bones by bathing in the lava he created. After all, it would be much easier to defeat him in the condition he had been left in after MadLeomon gave him a beating like that. So why?

"Do you think I'll be more fun to play with at full power?" the dragon asked.

The familiar laughter of Mercurymon reached his ears. "Grumblemon and Ranamon are willing to do whatever it takes to defeat their enemies. Arbormon just wants to do whatever his gluttonous self wants. But Duskmon and I? We still have our honor as Warriors."

"That's good to know," said EmperorGreymon, slowly sitting up. He could feel the hot lava travel down from his head and down his back. "But why go through all the trouble of setting up these bad guys inside you? Why couldn't you have just taken me head on?"

"Orders from the very top," Mercurymon's disembodied voice replied. "I can't disobey them."

EmperorGreymon stared into the giant eye looking down on him from above. "I suppose that's to be expected from you."

"Are you ready for our rematch?"

"That depends, are you?"

 **December 21: Light Area – 10:41 AM**

The Warrior of Fire entered what looked to be the inside of a church, rows of pews in front of him and seated at the very front was a pointed head. There was an organ being played and if EmperorGreymon knew classical music, maybe he could identify it. But with his current knowledge, the only way he could describe it was creepy.

"You've gathered some impressive friends," Mercurymon stated. "But, I guess you could say the same about me."

EmperorGreymon drew his blade and kept it at his side. "Not really since I don't think you see MadLeomon or anyone else inside your beast form as your friend. They're more like allies or classmates that were forced to work together for a group project."

"I will never understand your human world analogies."

Neither Warrior dared to make a move. And since EmperorGreymon couldn't see the front of his opponent's face, who's to say that this wasn't a decoy? So the unified spirit kept his eyes wandering the room, trying to see if there was any place that another Mercurymon could be hiding. But the most intriguing thing he found was that the stained glass windows showed the outside world. It looked like Yuu had joined the rest and rescued the hostages except for… Suzie.

The dragon felt his heart drop to his stomach. "Wha-?"

The organ abruptly stopped playing its melody just as the pews were ripped from the floors, flying right for EmperorGreymon. The Warrior started swinging his sword around and smashing apart the wooden seats in order to protect himself. Once he had them all reduced to splinters, he saw the one sight he hadn't expected to see... ShadowSeraphimon.

"Shadow Shockwave!"

An invisible shockwave sent EmperorGreymon flying backwards, flying through the massive double doors and into another Area. This time, it was the Steel Area, which was basically just a sea of mirrors and other reflective surfaces. Before falling into that dangerous ocean of shattered shards, he stopped himself short by hovering an inch above it all.

"Impossible!" EmperorGreymon snapped. "Without Seraphimon's Fractal code, you shouldn't be able to become ShadowSeraphimon!"

The dark version of the Celestial Angel flew into the Area and sent seven dark orbs of energy down to demolish his foe. "Strike of the Seven Dark Stars!"

There was no time to think about the technicalities and besides, it wasn't like the fiery Warrior to think about these things in the first place. So he just turned his broadsword into crossbow mode, pointing the tip at the black energy spheres coming towards him. "Dragonfire Crossbow!" He shot down each of the stars before aiming more for his enemy, only to receive another surprise.

"Dark Reflection!" Mercurymon was somehow with ShadowSeraphimon, absorbing the arrows into his mirror before sending dark versions flying back.

EmperorGreymon blocked the attacks with his sword and then leapt backwards as his two foes landed on the broken glass without a scratch on their bodies. "How is this possible? And even with this being possible, what was all that talk about honor?! What Warrior fights two against one?"

"You mean like you do all the time when you're with your friends?" Mercurymon chuckled. "And this ShadowSeraphimon was created by an arachnid Digimon. I think she said that he's made from these black towers called Control Spires."

That explained it. "So Arukenimon's behind this," EmperorGreymon muttered. "But this means she can create other powerful enemies." What if she created a Demon Lord duplicate? One Lucemon was enough; two would be an endless nightmare. But then again, she barely had the power to control one Mega in the past. She shouldn't have enough to create multiple Demon Lords. Well, that was the hope anyway.

"You may be able to defeat us individually, but you can't beat us together," Mercurymon laughed before disappearing into a mirror.

If it was anything like last time, then Mercurymon would be able to show up anywhere so long as there was a reflective surface to appear in. This meant that EmperorGreymon had to stay on his toes while fighting ShadowSeraphimon at the same time.

EmperorGreymon stabbed the ground with his blade. "Don't forget that I was Aldamon the last time we did battle. It would be wise not to underestimate me."

"You say that as if you've forgotten who I am," Mercurymon laughed. "I am the wisest of the Warriors."

ShadowSeraphimon shot forward and unleashed a flurry of blurry fists towards EmperorGreymon who was forced to sheathe his weapon before blocking the blows with his martial arts. If this was the game that they were going to be playing then it would be bad news to the fire-user if he accidentally left an opening on him. Mercurymon could pretty much show up anywhere and attack if he wasn't too careful. He had to keep an eye on his blind spots.

That was easier said than done. His eyes were good enough to keep up with the incredible speed of ShadowSeraphimon's fists but it's not like he could see what was happening behind him. With Mercurymon's laughter flooding his eardrums from every direction, it showed that he couldn't depend on those senses either.

"You're open!"

EmperorGreymon fell to one knee as he felt someone's foot slam into the back of his head. He was able to absorb one of ShadowSeraphimon's punches with his own palm at the very least though. So the dragon twisted his head around only to find that Mercurymon was nowhere in sight.

"Tch, he went back into the mirror!" EmperorGreymon grumbled.

Mercurymon jumped out of a mirror from underneath the other Warrior's arm, striking it with the reflective shield on his forearm. It forced EmperorGreymon to let go when he felt the sudden burst of pain in every single nerve point in his arm.

" _Takuya!_ " Agunimon's spirit gasped. " _Your bones haven't fully healed yet!_ "

BurningGreymon was more concerned with another issue. " _In front of you!_ "

Before EmperorGreymon could do so, ShadowSeraphimon was already on the offensive once more, producing more of his dark energy orbs. "Strike of the Seven Dark Stars!" There was no time to block the attack so instead, he took to the skies. But looking down below, he saw Mercurymon sucking up the stars into his mirrors and then pointing them up.

"You've got to be kidding me!" EmperorGreymon grunted as he tried to change direction.

"Dark Reflection!"

"Shadow Shockwave!"

As EmperorGreymon attempted to fly out of the way, ShadowSeraphimon's attack blew him back in the direction of the very thing he was trying to avoid. If this attack hit, things would not be good for the Warrior of Fire so he quickly drew his sword and it ignited in flames.

"I won't lose here!" EmperorGreymon roared. "Dragon Crusher!" With one wild swing, he was able to get rid of the energy balls before they hit him. As he attempted to catch his breath, he saw the dark angel flying towards him, ready to go another round of close combat and the dragon was forced to oblige unless he wanted to fall to the ground where Mercurymon was waiting again. "I'll take care of this one first!"

"Oh?" Mercurymon chuckled. "So you think I won't be able to hit you while you're up there, eh?"

That was the plan. After all, Mercurymon didn't have the ability to fly like he and ShadowSeraphimon did so it would be a better idea to take out this fake Digimon first before defeating the Legendary Warrior. But while ShadowSeraphimon was the one without a weapon, he was able to produce multiple energy bombs and waves that kept the dragon on the defensive.

"I can't win like this!" EmperorGreymon grunted. _But losing isn't an option here either._ "So what do I do?"

EmperorGreymon swung down his blade but it was blocked by ShadowSeraphimon's gauntlets, which allowed him to smash his foot into the Warrior's gut. It didn't hurt him as much as he expected, but then dark energy flowed into the foot and exploded. EmperorGreymon flew out of the dust cloud covered in bruises but that wasn't the end of the attack as more dark stars were sent towards him, one for his head, one for each of his limbs, and the remaining two for his torso.

" _If we get hit with this, we're done for!_ " Agunimon's voice called out. " _It'll aggravate all of his wounds!_ "

Even his own spirits were worrying about him when they were supposed to be working together in order to defeat this enemy. First though, he had to defend himself from these attacks which he did by spinning his broadsword around and blocking all the bombs. Unfortunately, the dust from the explosions filled his lungs, making even breathing more difficult for him.

ShadowSeraphimon took this chance to fly right into his opponent's face and giving him a roundhouse kick to the head. There was a sudden ringing in his head and it became even harder to pay attention to the fight. EmperorGreymon attempted to use his advanced eyes to keep up with the punches coming towards him but that meant nothing if he didn't have the speed to physically do the same.

Mercurymon watched from below, a smirk on his face as he watched the enemy's weapon fall to the ground with a clang. "You've been disarmed. Now, what will your next move be?"

That was a pretty good question considering EmperorGreymon wasn't sure himself. He was just drop kicked into the sharp shards on the ground, some of them even sticking into his back as he pushed himself up. There must be some way to turn this battle around!

EmperorGreymon coughed and inside the body, the host was spurting out blood from his lips. "My injuries are acting up."

"You've lost, boy," Mercurymon chuckled. "ShadowSeraphimon, if you could end this?"

The Mega Digimon closed the distance between himself and the unified Warrior in mere seconds as he closed his hand on the dragon's skull. It wasn't like his head was being crushed in the palm but he knew what was going to come next.

"Shadow Starburst!"

Dark lightning coursed through his body and into his foe, not only exacerbating all of his wounds but it was sending a new kind of painful sensation through his body. EmperorGreymon couldn't help but release an agonized scream. It wasn't just the host that was getting hurt either; both of his spiritual counterparts were in deep pain as well.

Mercurymon was laughing as he watched his long-time nemesis scream. For him, this was almost as good as watching a five-star production of his favorite musical at a quality theater. "This will be the end of you, Warrior of Flame! And after this, the rest of your friends will perish at my hands!"

 _I can't lose. Not until I take on Lucemon again! Not until I've seen my family again!_ "Stay…," the Warrior grunted, slowly lifting up his leg. "…away from me!" All of his energy went into the kick that pushed ShadowSeraphimon away from him, but how could he win this match at this rate? There must be something in all his training history that could help him.

"What more _can_ you do?" Mercurymon grinned. "I know your entire battle history and your limits thanks to all the fighting you've done inside Sakkakumon. The battles from three years ago and the ones from today have been compiled together in my brain. Last time, you defeated me because I hadn't known about Aldamon, but this time, I know it all."

That's it! The reason why he was able to beat the Warrior of Steel was because he had done something that had never been seen before!

But what could he do that was different now? Something that would trip up his foes?

 _Takuya had to pinch himself in order to make sure he wasn't dreaming because the prideful Zoey Orimoto was actually asking a favor from him while bowing. They were at their local park and it was the first time in a long while since it was just the two of them. It was very rare for them to be alone with each other because they had gone out for a few months but it didn't quite work out._

" _Zoey, I'd like to help out but…," he wasn't sure where to go from here._

 _The girl sat down next to him on the wooden bench. "I know, it'll be awkward but I'm out of options here."_

 _Zoey was volunteering at a dance studio that was closing down because they weren't getting enough students. She offered to be part of their last show but unfortunately, her partner broke his leg not too long ago and the doctors said that it wouldn't heal until the day after the performance. Zoey needed a replacement but there was no way she could find someone that could connect with her in two weeks' time._

 _Kouichi was busy helping out his mother that day so he was out. Kouji was in another town visiting relatives and it wasn't likely that he would want to dance in the first place. JP had a judo competition on the day of the show. And this routine required someone taller than Zoey so Tommy didn't quite fit the bill yet._

" _I know nothing about Latin dancing though," Takuya huffed. "I mean, my mom's forced me to take ballroom dancing before but isn't this…"_

 _Zoey finished it for him, "Completely different? Yes. But you're a fast learner, Takuya. If you practice with the class and with me in your spare time, I'm sure you'll be able to pick it up in no time at all."_

 _Takuya still wasn't sure about this idea. He really did want to help out his friend but this was completely new territory to him and there was a myriad of other problems as well. They used to date so dancing together would be awkward, he had no experience in this style, and truthfully, he was a little scared of screwing up the routine when the spotlight hit him._

 _Before he could voice out any of these worries, the blonde took his hand and pulled him out of his seat. "Eh? Zoey, what are you-?" She ignored him as she suddenly turned around and lifted her shirt up, causing his cheeks to go red when he saw her bare back._

" _Takuya, keep an eye on my muscles when I move," Zoey told him._

" _Huh?" Takuya blinked before realizing this was the first lesson._

" _Unlike ballroom dancing, in Latin dancing, you've got to move your whole body," Zoey explained as she began dancing in place. He watched as the rotations moved up from her hips and ascended her spine. The arm that wasn't being used to hold up her shirt was moving with the rest of her body as well, from the shoulder, to the elbow, to the forearm, to her hand, and then her fingertips. "This is essential to all kinds of Latin dancing because the whole point of it is to be passionate and sexy."_

 _Takuya had to admit, watching Zoey move like that was rather mesmerizing and if he had to call it anything, it would be sexy. When she put down her shirt and turned back around to face him, he vigorously shook his head to get rid of the redness on his face though it didn't seem like she noticed._

" _I know it looks difficult," Zoey continued. "But I believe in you."_

 _Takuya sighed; knowing how much of his free time was going to disappear after this. "What do I have to wear?"_

EmperorGreymon stood up as his opponents were getting ready to strike again. The majority of his attacks depended on his weapon, so now that he was disarmed, there was no way he could actually use any of them. He had to depend on something else. Something that Mercurymon had never seen before.

The Warrior of Fire knew that this would be torture on his body but as soon as an upbeat song entered his mind, he found himself moving. Mercurymon's mouth was set into a frown when he saw that his opponent was no longer in any recognizable battle stance.

"What are you…?" Mercurymon questioned.

EmperorGreymon smirked, knowing that even his own spirits were confused as well. "Just doing something you've never seen before."

The dragon suddenly moved forward but sidestepped an energy bomb from ShadowSeraphimon. The pair of enemies had no idea what to expect nor did they know what EmperorGreymon was doing as he danced around them. Every single body part seemed to be in motion as he dodged their attacks with ease, barely having their fists or feet brush against his armor.

"Strike of the Seven Dark Stars!"

EmperorGreymon spun away from the attacks but since Mercurymon stood behind the dragon, he was forced to absorb the stars with his mirror. The attacks were sent back in a Dark Reflection but the Warrior grabbed ShadowSeraphimon's wrists in the same way Zoey had several months ago, and swung himself under and between the dark angels legs. The energy balls exploded against Seraphimon's body while EmperorGreymon was left unscathed.

"I don't understand!" Mercurymon snapped. "You shouldn't be able to read my movements so easily!"

"Do you know the phrase, 'it takes two to tango'?" EmperorGreymon grinned as he threw himself over ShadowSeraphimon and slammed three kicks into Mercurymon's head. "Well, one of the most important things in a dance as complex as that one is knowing your partner. I don't have a perfect memory but my eyes are enough for me to tell what you're going to do next."

Mercurymon glowered at his foe. "I won't lose again. Never again!"

"Shadow Shockwave!"

EmperorGreymon moved out of the way of the invisible energy wave, landing beside his fallen sword. The Warrior of Steel had been so focused and confused by EmperorGreymon that he had forgotten about the weapon essential for the dragon's victory.

"Pyro Dragons!"

Nine flaming dragons burst out from the ground, flying towards Mercurymon who held up one of his mirrors in an attempt to send them backwards. But the dragons never hit him as they danced around him and smashed into ShadowSeraphimon, leaving behind a trail of data bits.

"I'm not done yet!" EmperorGreymon bellowed as he skidded to a stop, swinging his sword around like a baseball bat. "Without your bodyguard, I can finally hit you full force with an attack you can't send back! Dragon Soul Sword!"

Mercurymon crossed his arms but when the blade struck the mirrors, a crack formed in them, shattering them to bits. As the sword passed through his body, only his echoing scream filled the Area and a silhouette of his form was left behind. The unified Warrior returned to being Takuya as he no longer had the energy to retain his strongest form.

"It's finally over…," Takuya huffed as he held his D-Tector up to the ring of data. "Fractal Code Digitize…" On the screen, the symbol for the Warrior of Steel briefly flashed as the boy fell into an eyeball that appeared underneath him. "All that's left… is Sakkakumon…"

The teenager could feel snow crystals hittin his face as he started plummeting downwards. No energy to evolve into one of his flying forms and barely enough stamina to keep his eyes open. He could see his friends down below, running over to catch him. They weren't the other Warriors that would always pick him up when he fell. But they were his friends nonetheless. And together, they were definitely going to save the multiverse.

"Takuya!"

-X-

 **Takuya had to fight numerous enemies in one day but it looks like he got through it with his determination and Zoey's dance lessons. But he's pretty much out of commission when the fight against Sakkakumon comes. Will the group be able to win without the Warrior? And what's going to happen to Suzie and Lopmon now that they've been taken deeper into enemy territory? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **Yuu's fight didn't quite turn out the way I'd hoped but it's better than nothing. Hopefully, you guys enjoyed it and don't forget to leave a review telling me what you thought.**

 **Also, I know many of you probably don't review because you don't have much to say. But even a little bit is enough for writers because we like to know that people are reading. Sure, we know how many people visit a chapter but we never know if they actually read it or if they're just "checking it out". It really helps, not just me, but all writers to get reviews. So please review.**


	16. Geniuses in Battle

**Zero Unit** : Ever since 2016 began, there has yet to be a day where I can wake up feeling proud to be a human being. Pushing aside the state of events that is the presidential election here in the US, there have been recent tragedies in this last month that plague my heart.

 **Nene** : We would like to take this moment to send our prayers and love to the friends and family of the late Christina Grimmie, who was fatally shot after a concert. May your music and beautiful voice live on for generations to come.

 **TK** : We would like to do the same for the lives lost at the gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

 **Henry** : May these souls rest in peace and may their families find the support they need to get through this difficult time.

 **Joe** : In all honesty, we have no idea if anyone who is connected to these tragedies are reading this. We don't know if anyone who has a connection will ever read this. But it is important that we acknowledge that these events have happened.

 **Yoshino** : In continuation, we would also like to send our love to people who have suffered losses in other countries due to senseless murder or terrorism. Zero does not know what happens outside his social media bubble so we would like to take another moment to show our support to anyone else in the world dealing with something like this.

 **Kouichi** : We wish you all well. Thank you for listening to us if you did and please enjoy this newest installment to Children of the Future.

-X-

 **December 21: Blizzard Fields - 11:17 AM**

Ophanimon lowered herself back down beside her partner, holding an unconscious human boy in her arms. They knew what Sakkakumon's weakness was but the fact was, three years have passed since the last time he had done battle with the Chosen Children. It was likely that the beast had covered his weakness in that amount of time.

"I'll take care of Takuya," Yutaka offered despite being badly injured himself. "I can't fight like the rest of you."

Cody shuffled around in his bag for his first-aid kit as they started trudging away from the Warrior of Steel. It was unnerving to see it towering over them, not moving a muscle. So they took this chance to get as far away as possible to treat the wounded.

Kazu, arms around the sleeping form of BlackToyAgumon, didn't argue or protest when he was told to stay put behind the snow dunes. The usual ecstasy that he exhibited seemed to have dulled somehow. Was it because Suzie was taken away and he couldn't do anything about it?

Yutaka and Cody also stayed behind as well. The former was keeping Risa and Takuya from sinking into the cold whiteness while the latter was taking care of the cuts, scars, and bruises on the older boys. The remaining humans and their partners turned back towards their motionless enemy only to find that he had somehow vanished while their backs were turned to him. That could only be taken as a bad sign.

Armadillomon violently shook his head to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. "I had my eyes on him the whole time but he just seemed to… pop out of existence."

"This isn't good," ChaosGallantmon muttered. "An enemy of his caliber launching a surprise attack would be fatal for us."

One would think that such a wide open space would mean that there was no possible way for such a massive Digimon to hide. But in truth, the perpetual snowstorm was obscuring their view from every direction. If Takuya was awake, he might be able to find their foe in an instant.

"A weak spot in our defenses would usually be up," Glare pointed out before addressing his partner. "Do you think you could check things out for us?"

The angel nodded and took off skywards, leaving behind a trail of faint light but she wasn't gone for long when they heard Sakkakumon's voice from above. "Rumble Ball: Dark Shot!" The whistle of a falling object reached their ears before the sight of the dark explosion hit their eyes. Glare could only gape in shock as his partner dropped to the ground like an electrocuted housefly.

"Ophanimon!" the man gasped, running over to her.

ChaosGallantmon glared into the sky before pointing his shield in that direction. No one was able to stop him as he fired a powerful beam from his weapon, "Judecca Prison!"

"Rumble Ball!" There was no sound of contact so they could only assume that Sakkakumon had absorbed the attack into the same orb on his body where ChaosGallantmon first showcased it. "Oh, you all look a little cold. Here, let me warm you up. Rumble Ball: Pyro Dragons!"

That was the attack they had been most concerned about since it was probably the most powerful one used inside of Sakkakumon. Nine blazing dragons started flying out towards them and if it hadn't been for Cody's quick command, Shakkoumon might not have protected them by absorbing the attack into him

After blowing the whistle on top of his head, the giant clay doll groaned, "Whoa… That is a _lot_ of energy…"

"Is that your greatest trick?" Sakkakumon cackled. "Let me show you mine! Sephirot Crystal!"

Ravemon and Tsuwamon became airborne and quickly used their blades to shield the onlookers from the nine shining gems that came flying at them. One that was cleared up, ChaosGallantmon and Shakkoumon released a combination of their Judecca Prison and Justice Beam attacks. After all, according to Takuya, this was the only way to defeat someone who's copied all of their moves.

Sakkakumon's laughter hit their ears again but this time, it came from their right. He had moved out of the way of the attack and changed positions using the weather conditions to mask his presence. No matter how you looked at it, this battlefield was ideal for a Digimon like him.

"Rumble Ball: Judecca Prison!"

Ravemon used his speed to get in the way of the attack. But after the beating he had taken while inside the beast Digimon, he no longer had the energy to sustain his form, returning to his Rookie state and tumbling towards Keenan's awaiting arms.

"I'm sorry," Falcomon huffed. "That was all I can do."

"It's enough for now," Keenan shushed.

The others remained on their toes as they scanned their surroundings to figure out where the next attack would come from. They were forced to rely on their other senses though since their eyes were tricking them with every movement. The faintest shadow, in the farthest distance, suddenly became some form of Sukkakumon.

Unlike the Warriors from three years ago, none of them were scared of this monster since they had all gotten out of tougher and probably much more terrifying scrapes. But they couldn't deny that this was one of their tougher battles.

Yuu glanced over at the youngest human in their group and noticed that he had finished treating the wounds and was now doing something else with his partner and a fishing line. "Cody? Why did you turn Shakkoumon into Digmon?"

"Sukkakumon hasn't seen any of Digmon's attacks yet," Cody explained.

"But Shakkoumon is stronger than an Armor Digimon, right?" Julia frowned. "And what purpose does the fishing line serve?"

Cody didn't answer as he whispered something to his partner while the rest of the Digimon were doing their best to deflect the volleys of gems, flames, and energy balls that were coming at them from all directions. All of a sudden, Digmon took a place in the center, pointing the drills on his hands in opposite directions.

"Gold Rush!"

Five drills fired in different directions, each one dragging a metallic wire behind them as Digmon began moving his entire body in some crazed dance. When the Armor Digimon stopped, he was suddenly lifted off the ground, as if he was being dragged somewhere, by the line on his left hand.

"Combination attack in that direction! Quick!" Cody ordered.

Tsuwamon, SuperStarmon, and ChaosGallantmon spurred into action as they fired their attacks in said direction. "Scythe Spinner!" "Halley's Squall!" "Chaos Shot!"

The three attacks made an impact on their target just as Digmon yanked on the wire, pulling Sakkakumon into their view. Not only was he damaged from the attack, but he was incapable of twisting his body in the way that he wanted anymore due to Digmon keeping him completely immobile with all five drills tied around him.

"Don't relent!" Cody continued ordering. "Now that he's still, use high-speed physical attacks to break him down!"

"Mantis Dance!" "Demon's Disaster!"

A violent flash of golden armor combined with the whipping blur of a black mantle crashed into the body of the Legendary Warrior, creating cracks and dents into every single orb on his body. Before long, the steel that he was so proud of was shattered and what was left behind was a silhouette of his former self.

"Amazing," Glare gawked. "Just like that… we won…"

Yutaka climbed out from the snowy trench, holding Takuya's D-Tector in his hand. "I sure hope this works even without Takuya. Fractal Code Digitize!"

The data ring seemed to seep into the digivice at a much slower pace than usual though it was definitely working. Hopefully, they wouldn't have to worry about Sakkakumon breaking out in the middle of the process though it seemed like they had damaged him enough to keep him from making any movements that could potentially be too violent.

Abruptly, Sakkakumon's laughter filled the area once more. "So, you're Iori Hida. I hear your friends call you Cody." The group quickly became defensive as they started searching for the owner of the voice, but only Cody kept his eyes on the black beast spirit sluggishly disappearing. "When you were inside me, I could see your memories, your thoughts, and everything else that runs rampant through your mind. I saw your darkness too."

"His darkness?" Yuu frowned.

"Don't be a sore loser," Keenan scoffed. "If you're trying to get into our heads just because Cody-."

"Well, who knows what my reason for saying these things are," Sakkakumon interjected. "But I must say Cody, you have the most interesting mind. I never would've imagined that someone so young could have so much emotional baggage. Your strong sense of justice and tendency to right the things you determine to be wrong… Tell me. Is it a defense mechanism, or are you trying to atone for your crime?"

"Crime?" Digmon huffed. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

Falcomon nodded in agreement. "If there's anyone here that I could never imagine committing a crime, it would be Cody. No offense Keenan."

"None taken, I thought the same thing," his partner replied.

The four chiefs of Digital City took note of how Cody was not actually coming to his own defense like his friends were. At this point in the discussion, Sakkakumon was only one orb left, his head with the mouth on it. And it only seemed to keep speaking.

"It's your choice whether or not to believe me," said the Warrior. "As a matter of fact, Takuya will tell you that I have a record for sweet-talking my foes. But I must ask Cody this one question." The smile that his tone seemed to suggest sounded like it fell here, as if he was finally serious. "Why do you make the same inquiry over and over again despite knowing the answer?"

Everyone had their eyes on Cody now, who hadn't moved a muscle as of yet. "To make sure that I don't ever forget."

"Cody?" Digmon muttered, concerned etched into his features as the last of Sakkakumon vanished.

No one spoke for a long while as they just stood in the cold, trying to keep their shivering and chattering teeth from distracting them from what had just transpired. The first person to break the stagnant atmosphere was Julia, who marched right up to Cody with an unreadable expression on her face.

"When I traveled with Robert and the others, keepings things from others is what got us in trouble," Julia stated. Everyone's protests rang through the air when she grabbed Cody's collar and yanked him into the air. "So if your secret becomes a detriment to our battle against the Demon Lords, I will be sure to end you with my own two hands, you hear me?"

Cody was as stoic as always. "Trust me; what my past holds won't become any kind of opening for betrayal."

"Julia, put the kid down," Glare advised. "I know you don't want to repeat our mistakes from history, but keep in mind that your volatile behavior was also a factor half the time."

The woman did as she was told but didn't look very happy about it.

The strangers explained that there was a caravan waiting for the group in the west, once they got aboard, they would be making a break for Shoutmon's Kingdom Town. But as they were getting ready to leave, they noticed that Kazu hadn't moved from his sullen state. Takuya and Risa were both being carried by ChaosGallantmon who didn't seem to have a Rookie form, like the damaged but able to walk Ophanimon.

"Aren't you coming?" Yutaka inquired.

The Tamer looked down at BlackToyAgumon before shaking his head. "I… want some time on my own."

"It's not a good idea to be separated in the Digital World," said Yuu. "Not to mention the Demon Lords are still at large. You'd be in danger."

Kazu scoffed, as if he didn't believe that. "They wouldn't care about someone like me." He finally looked up again and the ones who knew him, were shocked to find that there wasn't that vibrant gleam in his eyes like there used to be. Dullness was all that reflected. "I'll be fine. I've got my partner with me…"

"At least make a convincing argument," Keenan sighed. "How about this? I'll go with Kazu since I know my way around this area. Besides, there's actually something I wanted to check out in the opposite direction. What do you guys think?"

Ophanimon frowned. "We have orders to retrieve everyone that we can. It's…" She trailed off when her partner raised a hand to interrupt her.

"This is a secondhand story from Robert. Julia and I weren't there at the time," said Glare. "But Shibumi did the same thing because he needed time to think. No one stopped him. And when he came back, he was stronger than ever before, with the confidence to match. So if you two think this is the best course of action for you guys, then we'll trust you."

Cody was reminded of a story that Joe told. Matt needed time to think about his mistakes while Mimi needed to figure out what it was she was brought to the Digital World to do. They ended up going on separate journeys, but returned to the same location. Just like with Shibumi, they had come back stronger and with much more confidence. Hopefully, history would repeat itself a third time for Kazu.

Julia walked over to them and dropped a compass into Keenan's hand. "It points towards the Kingdom Town. When you guys are done with whatever it is you have to do, come back. We're sure your friends will be waiting."

Keenan nodded before looking over to Yuu. "Can you do me a favor and keep Merukimon's egg with you. I'm not sure how safe I'll be able to keep it."

"No problem," Yuu replied. "But… be sure to stay safe yourselves… okay?"

"Not doing that would be not good, not good at all," Damemon added.

Keenan chuckled as he turned his back towards them, heading over to his solemn schoolmate. With that, the group ended up breaking off even further. It was going to be a long journey ahead of them to their separate destinations. But they hoped the other would make it there in one piece.

 **December 21: Shibuya Wreckage - 9:58 AM**

If they were being honest, stepping onto what used to be a bustling city filled with chattering businessmen, laughing children, and gossiping civilians made the group feel sick. It hadn't even been that long ago that this place was known as the most populous in Tokyo. But it became a desolate wasteland thanks to a single Digimon.

Up ahead, seated upon the rubble that had been the train station, were three Digimon sitting with their backs to each other. The one facing the approaching humans looked up when he heard their feet kicking up the chips of concrete.

"Tactimon," growled Psychemon. "Before the Dark Generals came about, this guy was probably Bagramon's top commander. But the other two shouldn't be underestimated either. The one on his left is Laylamon while the jagged, crystal one on the right is Blastmon."

"You mean she's not the same Demon Lord we fought?" Airu frowned.

Ren shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose, unlike the Sovereigns, they're not one of a kind. However, I am willing to bet that she isn't nearly as strong as the actual Demon Lord."

Tactimon slowly stood up and took three slow steps towards the group, making them stand in defensive positions as they watched the sword, taller than he, teeter back and forth in his hand. "I never would've imagined that in three years, there would be so many human children with X-Loaders."

"That's right," Ryouma muttered. "Before the appearance of the Hunters, there were only a total of four people with X-Loaders."

Blastmon grunted. "Who cares about those brats multiplying or whatever. Let's just destroy them so that we can sink our teeth into those Generals."

The humans were about to speak when Tactimon made a slashing arc without even drawing his blade, producing a strong enough air wave to lift them off the ground. They tumbled backwards as Laylamon lifted a perfectly manicured hand and gathered a group of dark clouds, sending black lightning to rain down on them. If it hadn't been for Ryouma's quick thinking, they would've been zapped out of existence.

"Thanks Cerberumon," Ryouma exhaled as the three-headed hellhound let them down.

"Quick, before they attack again," said Ren, holding up his gray X-Loader.

"Psychemon Super Evolve to… Astamon!" "Dracmon Super Evolve to… Yasyamon!" "Opossumon Super Evolve to… Cho-Hakkaimon!"

Blastmon tilted forward and hundreds of crystals from his body towards his enemies like they were bullets. "Diamond Machine Gun!"

Yasyamon and Cho-Hakkaimon jumped forward and used their weapons to shield the humans from getting struck by the impossibly hard substances while Astamon took the long way around in an attempt to strike Tactimon. The general plan was to take out the brains of the group and hopefully, things would all fall apart for them from there.

"Maverick!"

Tactimon raised his weapon and blocked the heavy kick while Laylamon kissed her palm and blew a hazy breath towards Astamon. If the gunman hadn't used the sheathed sword as a kickboard, he might've gotten a full blast of the rancid smoke that was melting the concrete chunks on the ground.

Cho-Hakkaimon stopped spinning her rocket rake since the machine gun seemed to have lost ammunition. "She may not be a Demon Lord, but we still shouldn't let down our guard. The three of these guys together is bad news."

Ryouma held up his green X-Loader to see what information they had on Tactimon and Blastmon since the only knowledge they had was second hand tales from the Generals. Hopefully, this would help them understand what they were up against.

 **Digital Analyzer:** Tactimon is a soldier who wields the peerless blade, Sword of Storms. It is said that sealed within this blade is the power to split a star in two so unsheathing it marks the collapse of a star. Since this is not a weapon that just anyone can possess with all the power that it conceals so that alone should be enough to tell you of the mighty strength that Tactimon demonstrates in battle. Furthermore, he excels in strategy and armies quake in fear when he stands on the battlefield. For him and his allies, victory is almost guaranteed.

 **Digital Analyzer:** Blastmon is a super heavyweight made out of diamond, making his defenses practically impenetrable. Even if one were to break the mineral that he was made of, he would automatically regenerate, replacing it with new crystals. He boasts a number of various techniques and his slow moving form is the epitome of an impregnable fortress.

"So one has brains and power while the other is a wall," Ren grumbled. "How did Taiki and the others take these guys down three years ago?"

"Well if they can do it, so can we," Airu pointed out.

Tactimon stabbed the ground once with his blade. "Is that what you think? Earth Shaker!"

Both Blastmon and Laylamon had smirks playing on their faces as they leapt backwards to avoid the oncoming earthquake. The humans and their partners were unable to keep their balance as it felt like the entire planet was trembling underneath the weapon. To make things worse, the rubble from what used to be the tall buildings started rumbling downwards like an avalanche on a snowy mountain.

"We'll get crushed!" Airu squealed.

"Get the humans out of here!" Astamon commanded.

The Digimon gathered up their respective partners and jumped skywards despite their wobbly stances. Once their previous spots were buried underneath tons of rubble, their foes shot forwards, each one taking on a different pair.

Tactimon jabbed Astamon in the abdomen with the tip of his sword, rocketing them down to the ground. Blastmon broke through the wooden sword that Yasyamon was trying to use as protection using a powerful punch, doing the same thing as his comrade. And Laylamon snatched onto Cho-Hakkaimon's rocket rake, spinning herself around and slamming her perfectly pedicured feet into the pig's head.

Ryouma rolled out of Astamon's tight embrace in time to find Tactimon landing on the ground. It seemed like this was going to be one-on-one matches only. But their enemy was clearly out of their league so there needed to be some way to level the playing field.

"Astamon! Triceramon! Digi-Xros!"

Tactimon sprinted forward with his weapon at the ready, making quick slashes that were hard to keep up with. Using the Triceramon shield that was produced in Astamon's left hand, the humanoid attempted to parry as many blows as possible while firing his gun from his right hand. Unfortunately, Tactimon wasn't only on the offensive, his movements also kept him defensive.

"He's fast!" Astamon grunted. "I'm going to need more than a shield to beat this one!"

Ryouma was a master of making Digimon combinations but he's been out of the hunt for two whole years. The majority of his collection got bored over time and left the X-Loader, looking for better Hunters to employ their skills in battle. So unfortunately for the boy, he didn't have many options for Astamon to fuse with.

"Let's try this one then," Ryouma murmured to himself. "Astamon! Parrotmon! Digi-Xros!"

Tactimon slashed thin air as his opponent sprouted wings and took flight. But the surprise didn't stay on his expression for long as he raised his blade and deflected the hellfire of bullets that came hailing down on him.

Astamon bit his lip in frustration. "This guy doesn't give any openings!"

"You, on the other hand, leave plenty," said Tactimon.

The expert swordsman flipped into the air and grabbed Astamon's head in between his legs. With a drop, he smashed Astamon's skull onto the hard rubble, creating a cracking sound that made Ryouma's stomach lurch.

"Astamon! Are you okay?" the Hunter called out.

"Hmph, if this is all that you are capable of, then this bout will be over in no time," Tactimon scoffed. "I had been hoping for a match worthy of my blade, like OmegaShoutmon had been. But it would appear that a foe like that is one in few."

Ryouma helped his partner back to his feet and once they were both standing firm again, they both had to hold back laughter. Tactimon, if his face could move, frowned.

"Forgive me, Tactimon," Ryouma grinned. "But I'm still rusty when it comes to fights like these. However, I'm sure I'll be able to provide you the kind of match you're looking for. And just so you know, if I win, I plan on adding you to my collection."

The soldier raised a brow at this prospect before holding up his weapon in front of his chest. "How interesting. Let's see if your bite matches your bark, greenhorn."

Ryouma didn't make any comebacks after that as he flipped his X-Loader in his hand and quickly formulated a new plan to back their opponent into a corner. "Let's try something a little underhanded. Astamon! Cerberumon! Digi-Xros!"

Tactimon leapt backwards when Astamon suddenly sped up, shifting his hip as if he was going to land a high kick on the soldier. But to the armored fighter's surprise, Astamon stopped short and his upgrades vanished, becoming replaced with a squid-like tentacles from his back. The tentacles clamped down on Tactimon's sides, keeping him still, while Astamon puffed out his cheeks and exhaled black flames from his mouth.

"I'm not done yet!" Astamon snapped, jamming the barrel of his gun into Tactimon's abdomen. "Ocean's Hellfire!"

Tactimon was blasted away by the blaze and multiple bullets but with a backflip, he remained on his feet, brushing off the debris from his armor. "I see, so you use Cerberumon's superior speed to get up close to me and then switch to MarineDevimon in order to impact me with the most damage possible. You're not bad."

"You're not too shabby yourself," Ryouma shrugged. "But this game isn't over yet."

"No, in fact, I think it's just beginning," Tactimon replied, stabbing the earth twice with his weapon. "Tectonic Tremor!" The land rumbled once more, but not strong enough to be classified as a catastrophic earthquake like last time. Though that might've been preferable as opposed to what happened next.

"What's happening?!" Astamon growled.

Ryouma checked his digivice to find out more information but accidentally dropped the device when a cold hand wrapped around his ankle. From the very ground they stood upon, ghoulish armored spirits popped out with swords and spears as their weapons. The boy couldn't be sure, but it looked like their enemy just summoned a zombie apocalypse.

"I'm sure you've heard," said Tactimon. "But when I lead an army, it means victory is assured."

One-hundred undead warriors charged forwards with their weapons slashing and Ryouma had to do his best not to have his insides spill out onto the battlefield. Astamon jumped out from the middle of a festering ground and landed near his partner, spraying bullets into the crowd.

"There are too many!" the Digimon gasped.

Ryouma scanned the ground for his X-Loader and when he found it about to be stepped on by the foot of a zombie, he tumbled forward and snatched it up. As he rolled onto his back, he slammed both of his feet into the stomach of the undead man, sending him flying backwards.

"Let's get away!" Ryouma huffed. "Astamon! Parrotmon! Digi-Xros!"

As soon as the feathers grew on his back once more, Astamon took flight with his partner in his arms and gunfire raining down like hail. However, despite reaching a height of about thirty feet, they found that they were still within the enemy's range. About a quarter of the resurrected warriors appeared to be trained archers as arrows came flying at them.

"I can't get a clear shot of their general!" Astamon grunted.

Ryouma glanced down at Tactimon slowly reeling back his sword-arm. "Forget that! What is he even doing?!"

"Penetrating Blast!"

Thrusting the blade forward, Tactimon sent a concentrated mass of air into Astamon's right wing, rendering him unable to stay airborne. The pair ended up crash landing into the jagged chunks of concrete, scratching up their skin and clothes as they came to stop several meters away from the zombies.

"Ryouma… Are you... okay?" Astamon coughed.

"Miraculously," the boy nodded. "What about you?"

"If I'm being honest," Astamon muttered, standing up. "I've had better days."

As the two of them stood back up, they watched as the approaching army split into two, allowing Tactimon to make his way through. The soldier appeared to be the one who wanted to finish them off and at this rate, he was going to succeed in doing just that.

"I had heard from the Demon Lords that you and your partner were separated by death once," said Tactimon. "But don't worry, this time, you'll be in hell together!"

"Is this it?" Ryouma murmured.

But Tactimon suddenly froze mid-step, a frown seeming to appear on his mouthless face. "Who are you?"

Ryouma's head jerked around when he heard someone step onto the gravel behind him. Out of all the people he expected to be here, it wasn't the old clock shop owner. "Kuroku?! It's dangerous here! You have to get away!"

"I don't think you're in any position to turn away help," the old man replied. "I do still have a X-Loader, after all."

"Where is your partner?" inquired Astamon.

Kuroku raised his digivice and from a flash of light, a Digimon appeared, though it wasn't Clockmon. The new Digimon had golden armor with a humanoid shape, a rather familiar one to the stunned eyes of the young Hunter and his partner. After all, this Digimon was supposed to have been killed… by them.

"MetallifeKuwagamon," Ryouma breathed.

"It's been a long while, Ryouma," the insect Digimon nodded.

"But what are you doing here?" Astamon asked. "I can't imagine you wanting to help us after we…"

MetallifeKuwagamon looked over to Kuroku before turning back to his former Hunter. "He was able to convince me to give you a second chance by asking me to watch over you these past few months. I saw how you were without Psychemon and the way your treat your partners now. If it is the Ryouma now… I don't think I'll have any qualms with fighting by your side."

Tactimon did not like being ignored, especially not on the battlefield. "Fine, I'll destroy all of you at once!" With an arcing slashing, the very ground seemed to rise as a sharp blade made from air rippled towards them like a tidal wave.

In a golden blur, MetallifeKuwagamon picked up everyone and got them out of harm's way before settling them back down to the ground. Tactimon seemed surprise that any Digimon could possess enough to speed to evade one of his attacks.

"I collected MetallifeKuwagamon's data to repair him," Kuroku explained. "Until seven months ago, he was just a Digi-Egg made from his old data and some new data."

"Thank you, Kuroku," said Ryouma, holding up his X-Loader.

Out of all his partners, Ryouma would say that MetallifeKuwagamon had been the strongest, excluding Astamon of course. The insect was his trump card when it came to battles and for the longest while, the Digimon had been okay with that. Until he noticed how his partner treated the Digimon that were physically weaker.

Unless you were a certain set of seven Digimon, Ryouma would treat his Digimon as if they were all expendable and replaceable. MetallifeKuwagamon, seeing himself as their elder, wanted to protect them so he defied the boy on numerous occasions. Since there had been no change in Ryouma's behavior, the insect ran away but of course, the Hunter did not like that.

It was only now that MetallifeKuwagamon understood the cutthroat attitude to have partly been from Quartzmon's influence.

"Even so… I'm sorry, MetallifeKuwagamon," Ryouma spoke up, his voice cracking. "For the way I treated you and the others."

MetallifeKuwagamon turned to face the boy. "I can't say I forgive you. But I can see how much you've grown. I want to be there for the rest of your growth."

Tactimon ordered his troops to continue advancing as Ryouma wiped away his tears with his raised his digivice. "Astamon! MetallifeKuwagamon! Digi-Xros!"

The gunman was given the other Digimon's radiant armor as well as the weapons that the humanoid insect one carried. So not only did both his defenses and offenses increased exponentially, but his speed was raised dramatically as well. This was proven when a flash passed over Tactimon's eyes and zombies started collapsing left and right, dissolving into sand.

"Xros-Up! Golden Armor Astamon!" the shining Digimon exclaimed as he stood face to face with Tactimon.

The swordsman's been in shock from few battles, one of them was from the time Shoutmon first super evolved. "I see," muttered the strategist. "So this is why the Demon Lords warned me about you. There had been acclamations that you were a genius on the battlefield, both you and your partner, but I had not expected anyone to surprise me. However, you've succeeded in doing that twice now in this one bout."

"I guess that's what you get for underestimating me?" Ryouma shrugged. The smug smirk turned into a wince though when he realized that his shoulder was in a lot of pain from his action. "I also underestimated the damage I took from that fall."

Kuroku placed a hand over the injured shoulder. "You might've dislocated it."

"It's fine," the boy lied. "What's important now is that we get out of this in one piece."

Tactimon and Astamon appeared to be having a stand-off, both foes with their weapons raised as they slowly circled each other, gauging the other's strength through their senses. For the onlookers, it felt rather tense since they couldn't tell who was going to make the first move. But this was probably how all skilled warriors battled each other.

Astamon made the first move by firing homing missiles from his gun, a specialty that had been his fusion partner's. But right before they made an impact on Tactimon, the soldier shot forward, flawlessly evading the lethal attack and simultaneously slashing his weapon down at his foe. However, it was parried by an energy blade, another effect from the Digi-Xros.

"Unbelievable," Tactimon grumbled. "To think that someone could match my blade."

"I'm not done yet!" Astamon smirked, slamming his firearm into his opponent's stomach again. "Homing Hellfire!"

Tactimon knew that even if he were to try to evade such an attack, they would just follow him around the area. So instead, he changed the angle of his weapon and smashed the point into the ground, causing another earthquake. This broke Astamon's balance which gave Tactimon the chance to disarm the partner Digimon of his gun.

The firearm landed in Tactimon's free hand. "Don't you think it's rather unfair to bring something like this to a sword match."

"Heh," Astamon smirked. "I hadn't realized it was that kind of fight."

Tactimon did not seem to find this as humorous as his foe. Though his next action certainly wasn't any laughing matter as he tossed the gun into the air, broke the seal on his blade, and destroyed the weapon in one fluid motion. The firearm dissipated into data particles, floating away with the wind.

"I hope you don't mind," said the tactician. "But I plan on going all out now."

"That's how I like my enemies," Astamon replied, raising his energy blade once more.

Both fighters clashed with their blades sending sparks flying in every direction. Despite the fact that Astamon's weapon was made out of energy, it was being chipped away as if it was made by physical material. Not to mention, even with the upgrades, he was being relentlessly pushed back with every slash and parry.

"That's to be expected from a sword that can split a star in two," Ryouma muttered. The silver-haired boy then turned away from the battle to face Kuroku. "Astamon needs help and I think you can provide him it."

"Eh?" Kuroku blinked. "What can I do?"

The old clock shop owner didn't have any Digimon partners that were suitable for fighting but he did have a X-Loader. In accordance to the rules of the hunt, one X-Loader can fuse together at most two Digimon partners at a time but Akari discovered a loophole to this rule. Simply by having a second X-Loader, one could fuse at most four Digimon at once.

"Golden Armor Astamon! Triceramon! Digi-Xros!"

Just like in his solo form, a dinosaur head appeared in Astamon's free hand, becoming a rock-solid shield. However, just one hit from Tactimon's legendary sword and there was already a very visible crack forming on it.

"A shield is useless against me!" Tactimon stated, making an upward slash with his shining blade. "Star Splitter!"

The shield was shattered into dozens of pieces but since Triceramon wasn't the base for the fusion, he simply returned to Ryouma's X-Loader. Despite that, the injuries he had to sustain from that one slice was enough to put him out o f commission for the rest of the day.

Ryouma looked at the screen to see if his partner was okay. "Triceramon? How are your wounds?"

"I'm alive," the dino answered weakly. "But I don't think I can go another round."

The boy nodded in understanding, telling his partner to take a rest before bringing his attention to another partner of his to see if they could use another fusion instead. "What about you Parrotmon? I know you got your wing injured back there but do you think you can go again?"

"I won't be able to fly but I should still be able provide a power boost," came the bird's reply.

"Okay! Golden Armor Astamon! Parrotmon! Digi-Xros!"

Once again, wings sprouted from Astamon's back though one was clearly in much better shape than the other. Rather than using them to take to the skies though, Astamon produced crackling electricity in his feathers, releasing them in powerful lightning bolts. "Hell's Mjollnir!"

"Is that all you can do?" Tactimon scoffed. The gun-muzzles that rested on his back suddenly flipped around and they were pointed right for the lightning strikes. "Primary Tactic!" He released a barrage of bullets that hit the bolts in midair, several meters away from electrocuting him. Without missing a beat, he gathered much of his energy into his sword and made a downward slash that sent a deadly shockwave right for Astamon's good wing. "Ultimate Tactic!"

"Parrotmon too?" Ryouma gaped.

Astamon still hadn't taken any direct damage so he was still able to go another round as another fusion was given to him. Suddenly gaining two more heads on his shoulders and a increased amount of speed, he lunged forward like a predator.

Tactimon was not impressed as he made five slashes in quick succession, in the shape of a pentagram. "Enlightenment Tachi: Five-Sided Fortification!" Such an attack generated deadly shockwards that blasted Astamon in the reverse direction before he could even get close to his opponent. "Are you done?"

"Not yet!" Astamon huffed, pushing himself back onto his feet. "Ryouma!"

"I know!" his partner shouted.

This time, MarineDevimon's tentacles came out from Astamon's back. "Ocean Devil's Hellfire!" He puffed up his cheeks and spit out a brilliantly blazing flame that engulfed the entire field, including the enemy soldier.

However, Tactimon wasn't even fazed when the waves of fire washed over him. "Hmph, a summer day's felt hotter." Holding up his sword, he made six slashes in the shape of a hexagram which produced a swirling vortex. "Nothingness Tachi: Six-Realm Samsara!" It was a hurricane powerful enough to blow away the flames and blast Astamon backwards, dragging him through dozens of meters of jagged rubble.

"What power…," Astamon groaned.

Tactimon slowly approched the fallen opponent with his blade prepared to finish the job. "The Demon Lords told me that you have a grand total of five Digimon partners aside from Astamon. Triceramon, Parrotmon, Cerberumon, MarineDevimon, and MetallifeKuwaga… Or at least, that's how it should be had I not heard your conversation concerning the bug. In truth, you have one more…" He pivoted on his heel and smashed the hilt of his sword into Clockmon's face, sending him flying. "Right here!"

"No!" Ryouma gasped.

"Did you really think I would fall for your simplistic plan?" Tactimon shook his head. "You really are a greenhorn. I've taken down all your partners."

"Close," Kuroku nodded. "Except that Clockmon isn't one of them."

The machine suddenly flew right back into Kuroku's X-Loader, getting replaced by a DinoBeemon, Ryouma's final partner and the only one who hadn't done anything yet. However, his job was not to attack Tactimon nor was it to confuse or distract him. All he had to do was catch him off guard with his unbelievable speed and yank the sword out of Tactimon's grasp before making his way back to his partner's side.

"The plan is a success!" Ryouma grinned. "Almost every one of your attacks was made with this sword, so without it, you can't possibly win. Astamon, finish him now!"

The golden Digimon was already on it as he used his speed to close the distance between himself and Tactimon in no time. He was putting all of his energy into this final attack of his. "Golden Hell's Blade!" Tactimon didn't even have the time to fire the gun-muzzles on his back as he was cut in two by the energy sword.

"I… lost…," said the soldier quietly. "Actively waiting for me to spend as much of my energy as possible while using my lack of knowledge on your partners, how clever." He turned to face the second human to ever bring him down. "And yet… I feel neither upset nor angered that I lost. It was an honor to face you in battle and it will be just as honorable to fight by your side… greenhorn."

Ryouma nodded, a smile appearing on his face. "Digimon Capture Complete."

"I must say, that was quite a spectacular battle," Kuroku remarked. "Especially since Tactimon broke the seal on his sword."

Psychemon padded over to the humans with an expression of worry on his canine face. It didn't have to do with the capture of their foe since he knew that Ryouma wanted to give Tactimon a second chance at fighting on the right side. No, he had concerns about something else.

"We should help Ren and Airu," Psychemon piped up. "If we had this much trouble here, they'll probably need the assistance."

Before Ryouma could agree, Kuroku stopped them. "Those two will be fine," said the old clock shop owner. "Help has already arrived for them. More importantly, we need someone to check on your shoulder and your partners need rest. Even if you went to them, only DinoBeemon would be in any condition to fight."

Now that it was mentioned again, Ryouma's shoulder started stinging again. "Yeah, you're right," he murmured. "I just hope Ren and Airu are okay."

-X-

 **It looks like Sakkakumon has been taken care of but the group that did it has seen better days. Not only did they lose Suzie to some psycho vampire but both Kazu and Keenan are going off on their own! Not to mention Cody apparently has some big secret that he's keeping from the others. At least things are going well in the human world considering Ryouma's added a powerful new ally to his fighting roster. But what about Ren and Airu? We can only see what happens next by staying tuned to Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed and I'll see you in the next one. Don't forget to leave a review and have love in your hearts. Thank you for reading!**


	17. Reporting Revelations

**Zero Unit** : *Folds hands* I believe you're all wondering why I called you all here. You see… We only got two reviews to the last chapter.

 **Rika** : *Mock gasps* Big deal. Zero, you write because you love doing it so why does it matter how many reviews you get.

 **Zoey** : Still, when you create something that you worked really hard on, don't you want to hear what people think? When people don't tell you anything, it makes you feel discouraged and less active. I don't understand how audiences can't understand something like that.

 **Kiriha** : And Zero is one of those introverted, nervous wreck types so he constantly needs reassurance that his work is decent.

 **Zero** **Unit** : I'd retort if it weren't true. So… What do you guys think we should do in order to get people to review more often?

 **Osomatsu** : Guest stars and cameos, like me!

 **Zero Unit** : Are Jyushimatsu and Ichimatsu with you?

 **Osomatsu** : Uh…

 **Zero** **Unit** : *Takes out baseball bat* Goodbye. *Hits him out of the park* Hustle, hustle! Muscle, muscle!

 **Natsu Dragneel** : What you need is sexy fan service!

 **Happy** : Aye sir!

 **Natsu Dragneel** : May I present… the Fairy Tail swimsuit girls!

 **Zero** **Unit** : *Swings the baseball bat again and knocks them both away* I'm not doing that to any of the female characters nor would I do it to the male ones. Now, does anyone have any better ideas that I could actually use?

 **Tamaki Suoh** : *Sparkles* You should just keep doing what you always do! *Kisses the back of Zero's hand* Is that not what makes your story special?

 **Zero** **Unit** : That's nice… But you have a hittable face and since Haruhi and Kyoya aren't here to do it… *Smack!* Anyway, I'll be taking the sparkly host's advice so please continue on to today's chapter. Also, don't forget to review.

 **Matt** : Uh… Who were all those people?

-X-

 **December 21: Shibuya Wreckage — 10:13 AM**

"Diamond Machine Gun!"

Ren took cover behind a particularly large concrete chunk while his partner attempted to deflect as many of the crystal shards as he could with his two swords. Thankfully, Yasyamon had the speed and eyes to keep up with the onslaught of ammunition but the diamonds were tough. Without an iron grip, the swordsman would be easily disarmed.

The Hunter scanned through his Digimon partners to see if there was anyone that could give his partner a defensive advantage. But a sudden crashing sound caught his attention and he popped his head over his cover to see his partner flying through the air. Blastmon had charged forward while firing his gems until he crashed his jagged shoulder into Yasyamon's chest.

"Yasyamon, are you okay?" Ren called out.

The swordsman coughed but gave him a small nod. The boy's partner was never much of a talker but the pair didn't need words to communicate what the other wanted to say. As for Blastmon, even without having to hear him speak, they knew what _he_ wanted, their destruction.

"Where are those pesky Generals?" Blastmon snarled. "I want to get my revenge on them!"

Ren rolled his eyes at the single-minded bloodthirst of this Digimon. "You're one world away from them! Yasyamon! Hyogamon! Digi-Xros!"

The undead Digimon took on a pale blue sheen as ice crystals protruded from his shoulders, knees, and elbows. Both his blades became thicker as they too, became covered in ice which he stabbed into the ground, freezing up the field. Blastmon nearly slipped and fell onto his face when he found himself standing on the frozen battleground.

"Is that all you got?!" Blastmon snapped.

Yasyamon pushed himself across the ice with his weapons raised. "Double Ice Strike!"

A smug smile appeared on the large Digimon's face. "I can melt this easily! Crystal Breath!" He exhaled a concentrated laser beam that not only vaporized the ice, but it also had enough destructive force to move the rubble like waves. When the beam hit Yasyamon square on the chest, Ren had to cover his eyes to avoid watching his partner get burned and scratched up.

"Y-Yasyamon!" Ren gasped as Hyogamon returned to his X-Loader. "We're going to need even more speed to win this fight. Yasyamon! SkullSatamon! Digi-Xros!"

The masked warrior; already classified as an undead Digimon, wrapped skeletal armor around his body while trading in his blades for his fusion counterpart's staves. Blastmon didn't seem to care about this new form as evident by the fact that he was charging towards his foe with the intention of crushing him. After taking four earth-shaking steps, the hardened general curled up into a rolling boulder.

"Diamond Hedgehog!"

Ren's knuckles had taken on the color of porcelain as he gripped onto his X-Loader. "If Yasyamon gets hit with that, there's no way he'll stand back up!"

Yasyamon leapt over the ball but as soon as he landed, his foe made a U-turn and came charging back in. Well, if he couldn't dodge this attack, then he might as well try to control it instead. "Bone Puppet Master!" From the orbs on the staves, energy strings popped out and connected with the rolling enemy, now Yasyamon could lead the opponent crashing into a wall or something similar. That is, if he could control the enemy.

"What's going on?!" Ren gasped. "Why can't Yasyamon manipulate his movements?"

Looking closer, one would be able to see that the puppet strings would get close to Blastmon's body and then just bounce right off. Not only was his body too hard for the strings to penetrate into his data stream, but he was spinning too fast for the strings to even find a spot to stay on. Yasyamon attempted to block the blow by crossing his weapons, but he ended up getting smushed underneath the barreling enemy anyway.

"This guy is way too tough!" SkullSatamon groaned when he returned to the X-Loader.

Hyogamon couldn't agree more. "Sorry Ren, but you're going to need a lot more power in order to beat this guy!"

Power? Ren always hunted Digimon based on their level of rarity or difficulty to capture which usually resulted in searching for smart or fast Digimon. The few strong opponents he came across were often handed over to Ryouma for hunting. Even for the two years that his friend was no longer participating in the hunt, it was Tagiru and the others that caught the really strong foes.

However, brains might be preferable in this situation seeing as Blastmon didn't seem to do a lot of thinking. Perhaps they could outsmart the rocks-for-brains Digimon or at least stall until backup arrived like Samson and Yamaki had promised.

"Yasyamon! Chamelemon! Digi-Xros!"

The swordsman didn't even give Blastmon the chance of seeing this new form as he immediately used his counterpart's powers to blend in with the background. This left Blastmon in a rather confused state as he looked around, searching for the invisible opponent.

"Where'd you go?" Blastmon roared. "I won't let you run away from me!"

Meanwhile, Ren was turning on his phone and contacting Hypnos, hoping to get some assistance before Blastmon could target him instead of his partner. But just as the call was trying to connect, a diamond hit the concrete chunk that he was hiding behind, somehow shattering the larger piece of rock into several pieces. If just one of those gems hit him, he'd probably have a hole in him and a popped organ.

"Not good," the boy murmured.

Blastmon started charging at the teenager while swinging his arms wildly. "If I can't find you, then I'll just pulverize your partner!"

Yasyamon shot forward and threw his blades into the ground in front of Blastmon. As soon as the weapons left his grasp, they became visible again and Ren watched as Blastmon tripped over the swords and fell flat on his face. This was the time to get a few blows in before he got back up.

"Yasyamon!" Ren called out. "MameTyramon! Digi-Xros!"

The partnered Digimon was no longer invisible and he gained the tough armor of his new counterpart along with sharp claws. His mask was exchanged for a gladiator's helmet though his eyes remained covered underneath the armor. As he landed, he picked up his blades once more and charged forward.

"Mame Strike 1000!"

Blastmon was hit hundreds of times in a span of under a minute with the dual wooden swords but it didn't do much. Blastmon was definitely getting injured since parts of him were breaking off, but unless they defeated him in one blow, those parts would just regenerate later on.

Blastmon rolled onto his back while bearing the flurry of blows. He slammed the soles of his feet into Yasyamon's stomach, sending him reeling backwards. Using the momentum of his kick, he brought himself back onto his feet, spun around, and made Yasyamon fall onto his back by using his tail to trip him up.

"Let's see how _you_ like getting beat while you're down!" Blastmon smirked. "Janken: Gu!" Ren squeezed his eyes shut and turned away as Blastmon punched Yasyamon's face into the ground. "Janken: Choki!" Ren could feel the chop send shockwaves through his body. "Finally, Janken: Pa!" An open palm strike left a Yasyamon-shaped indentation in the rubble while Blastmon stood victorious.

The human found himself trembling as he tried to stand up. "No… Yasyamon, it can't be."

Blastmon turned to Ren with a smug expression. "Now that just leaves—."

From the sky, two figures dropped to the ground and to Ren's relieved surprise, one of them was Yasyamon. As for the other figure, he didn't know who it was. He appeared to be a Chinese adult male wearing a green martial arts gi and metallic gauntlets and shin-guards. But his jaw dropped as he witnessed the pair place their hands to their ground and lift their feet in the air, slamming them into Blastmon's face.

"Yasyamon, you're okay!" said Ren.

The Digimon nodded before gesturing to the other human there. "He saved me," Yasyamon stated quietly.

"I also switched him out with a dummy so Blastmon wouldn't realize that he was gone," the man added.

"Thank you so much," Ren bowed before frowning a little. "But… Who are you, exactly?"

Blastmon stood back up after shaking the disorientation from the surprise assault. "Yeah, I'd like to know the name of the man who made a fool out of me." He rubbed the bruises on his cheeks. "I also have to pay you back for ruining my beautiful face!"

"I am the Martial Artist of Patience," the man said. "Janyu Wong!"

Ren's eyes widened. "Your Henry's dad?! But your hair is short and black! And you're thinner!"

"Did I really put on the pounds after college?" Janyu muttered before getting back into an offensive position. "I'll explain later. For now, we've got a Digimon to defeat."

"Uh, right."

" _You're_ going to defeat _me_?" Blastmon scoffed. "What a laugh!"

It's not like Ren didn't trust the older man or anything, but they were fighting a colossal monster made of supposedly indestructible material and Janyu was only human. No matter what kind of martial arts training the bespectacled man has gone through, it won't matter against someone who could destroy a building with a single punch. How did Taiki and the other Generals beat this guy in the past?

Janyu glanced over to the younger male and noticed that Ren was shaking. As hard as it might be to admit, the Hunter was most likely scared out of his mind. After all, his partner had nearly been deleted right before his eyes.

"Ren," Yasyamon said quietly, placing a gloved hand on his partner's shoulder.

Something passed between them when they locked eyes and Janyu wasn't quite what it was. But Ren stopped shaking. It was probably similar to the silent communication he would have with his own partner, FanBeemon. The bond between Digimon and human was one that couldn't be explained.

"You take the lead, Janyu," Ren nodded firmly. "I'll follow."

Janyu returned the gesture before giving the pair a thumbs-up. He then leaned in closer to Ren and lowered his voice. "Blastmon's weak point is his legs but don't strike just because you see an opening, you've got to watch out for his tail as well."

This was a surprise. Did Janyu know this because of some encyclopedia entry on the enemy that Ren didn't know about? But when the boy really thought about, compared to the rest of Blastmon's body, his legs were much smaller. Not to mention, tripping him up was actually a really easy task. Still…

"How do you know that?" Ren asked.

"While I was making a Yasyamon dummy, I was observing your fight," Janyu explained. "As a martial artist, I tend to watch the enemy's body as they fight and I was able to figure out which ones he used more in comparison to the others. Furthermore, don't be fooled by his brutish behavior and vanity, Blastmon is a lot smarter than he lets on. Have you noticed that not once during this battle, he has yet to make a reckless move despite all his gung-ho and charging?"

That's right! Blastmon was constantly barreling forward but it wasn't overconfidence that fueled his battle style. His tank-like body allowed him to cover up several weaknesses while his brainpower defended the rest. The biggest clue to the fact that he was hiding a big brain, however, was the fact that he was able to remain calm despite the humans whispering.

"I've effortlessly overpowered massive militaries in the past!" Blastmon bellowed. "I'm supposed to be scared of you weaklings? Diamond Machine Gun!"

"Take cover!" Janyu snapped to Ren before breaking into a sprint in the other direction.

Ren took off as far from the battlefield as he could without losing visual of them. He could only gape in awe as he watched Janyu maneuver through the bullets with the speed and grace to rival his own partner. But it was only a given that he was fast, how else could he save Yasyamon then?

"Man, the very first Chosen Children are leaving us in the dust," Ren murmured.

Blastmon seemed more concerned with Janyu than he was with Yasyamon, perhaps he saw the human as a bigger threat. Or maybe someone ordered him to take out the very first DigiDestined if they showed their faces. Either way, that was where his concentration was on. "Dazzling Crystal Volcano!"

Janyu halted as Blastmon launched himself in his direction. But while the human combatant couldn't match it in speed, his eyes was able to keep up with the rocketing general with ease. So by flipping into the air, he was able to land on Blastmon's back, hanging onto the behemoth's cape to keep from falling.

"Ren, Xros with a speed type!" Janyu snapped.

"That's my specialty!" the boy grinned. "Yasyamon! Centarumon! Digi-Xros!"

As Yasyamon was running forward, his legs underwent a sudden change so that his lower half belonged to that of a horse. "Jet Gallop!" With each hoof that hit the ground, he began to accelerate until he was right behind Blastmon. All this was done in a few seconds as he stabbed his blades through Blastmon's cape and nailed them to the ground, catching Blastmon's tail along with it.

"Wh-What?!" Blastmon roared. "H-How did you?!"

Janyu and Yasyamon now stood in front of him as the latter was aiming his new laser cannon hand at Blastmon's legs. With a few energy blasts, Blastmon was brought down to his knees.

"While he's immobile," Janyu called out. "Finish him!"

Yasyamon changed his target to Blastmon's torso, charging up the cannon once more with everything he had in him. Ren was able to run to his partner's side in that amount of time while Blastmon struggled to get out of this pinch. Together, Ren and Yasyamon fired, "Solar Flare Strike!"

 **December 21: Shibuya Wreckage — 10:13 AM**

With each swing of the rocket rake, indentations were made into the ground and the rubble underneath was practically pulverized into dust. But Laylamon was light on her toes as she floated across the battlefield like a ballerina on stage. This succeeded in frustrating Cho-Hakkaimon because like the Demon Lord they once faced, this Digimon wasn't taking their fight seriously.

"Stay calm, Cho-Hakkaimon," Airu called out. "She's just trying to rattle you!"

"I know," her partner huffed.

Laylamon leapt backwards, landing on a large piece of rubble so that she could literally look down on her opponents. "I can't lose, not until I face those Generals again. And just so you know, a little girl such as yourself could never defeat me."

Airu wasn't about to let this foe get into her head. "Well, I made a promise to those Generals that I, and the others, would keep this world safe until they return! So I can't lose either."

"Promises break, kid."

"So do old lady bones."

"How dare you?!"

The blonde couldn't believe how easy it was to rile up the female general when she had been trying to do the same thing to them. Then again, if she remembered the stories of their adventures well enough, according to Nene and Mervamon, this foe would lose her temper frequently. However, while at times it could be amusing, one would actually not like to face her while enraged, unless you were confident in taking on her wild strikes.

Cho-Hakkaimon jumped into the air with her weapon high above her head. "Strike, Strike, Strike, Mince!"

Laylamon clapped her hands together and some sort of summoning circle appeared in front of her. As she placed her palm in the center of the shape, a giant, eldritch monster in the shape of a hand appeared. "Empress Emblaze!" Not only did the rake do nothing to the hand, but the hideous body part also wrapped itself around Cho-Hakkaimon.

"No!" Airu gasped.

"Your partner's bones seem pretty fragile too, you know," Laylamon cackled as she slowly squeezed the hand, causing Cho-Hakkaimon to scream.

Airu was never the smartest in her group and she always depended on the boys when it came to thinking up plans. But this didn't mean that she didn't have a brain of her own to use. In battle, it was best not to underestimate her. And because she could often be found hiding from bigger battles with her teammates, that's what most people tended to do.

"Cho-Hakkaimon, degenerate!"

Laylamon blinked as her captive suddenly shrunk down in size. The giant hand closed around thin air as Opossumon used her balloons to float upwards. She waved her tiny rodent hand which caused Laylamon to boil as she attempted to reach up and nab her once more.

"Why you little rat!"

A smirk appeared on Airu's face. "Opossumon, time to switch!"

Once again, Laylamon was struck by surprise as the tiny Digimon started glowing once more, but not to change form. Rather, she was beamed right back into the pink X-Loader and replaced by a new Digimon, one that was thousands of sizes larger than Airu's main partner.

Laylamon's eyes widened as her pupils shrunk. A cold sweat broke onto her brow as her perfect lips took on the shape of a rounded trapezoid in order to show her distress upon seeing a Whamon above her head. A scream was released as the aquatic mammal dropped, crushing the eldritch hand underneath as Laylamon got out of there before she could be smushed as well.

"Y… You're smarter than you look," Laylamon muttered. "The information I got from the Demon Lord Laylamon was that Suzaki Airu hid behind others and let them handle the heavy lifting. But you don't seem to be that way at all!"

Airu took on a cute pose as Whamon was replaced with Cho-Hakkaimon. "There's a reason why Ryouma added me to his team and it wasn't because of my looks. He saw me battling that very Whamon once and he underestimated me because of how I behaved. But when I successfully hunted Whamon, Ryouma was more than stunned to see how well I handled it."

"It can't be!" Laylamon gasped.

Airu targeted cute Digimon, never seemed to think things through, and always looked onto to Ryouma and Ren to do the hard work. As a matter of fact, if there was anyone else who could do the thinking, she hid, because Ryouma asked her to never show her true prowess. Her greatest skill was making foes underestimate her, and that was something she has nurtured for the last two years.

But with the appearance of the Demon Lords and after losing so much of Shibuya, she was asked to finally let loose by both Ryouma and Kuroku. Even Ren didn't know about this, her true self in battle, a professional huntress.

"The hunt isn't over until I hunt you," Airu smiled. "Cho-Hakkaimon! Bucchiemon! Digi-Xros!"

The pig costume changed color to red and the ears suddenly became longer, pointed with hearts at the end while a red ribbon wrapped itself around her neck, tying into a bow in the back. Her weapon took on a translucent glow as she pointed the five sharp points at Laylamon. "Rocket Love Arrows!"

The demon figured she could ballet dance through these whistling missiles but as they approached, she realized that they were flying around her rather than hitting her. Where was she supposed to go? As her head pivoted left to right, she almost didn't notice Cho-Hakkaimon jumping into the air until her opponent cast a shadow over her.

"What are you–?!"

"Strike, Strike, Strike, Beam!"

From the hole that served as an opening for Cho-Hakkaimon's human-like face, four powerful light beams rained down from the sky. At the same time, the five missiles took different vantage points before charging right for Laylamon. Unless she could dig underground, there was no place to run for her as all nine attacks connected at one point and exploded.

"Bucchiemon is not only adorable but a combination with him and Cho-Hakkaimon is one of the best!" Airu grinned, grateful to Ryouma for teaching her that combination. It didn't last for very long though. "But I guess the hunt isn't over yet or else you'd be in the X-Loader already."

Laylamon's manicured hands popped out of the ground behind Airu and latched onto her ankle, causing her to yelp in surprise. "Little girls shouldn't be playing with weapons like that." One second before the lasers and the missiles struck, Laylamon used her Nazar Nail attack to corrode the ground underneath her and dive into the only safe zone. "To make things worse, you've ruined my makeup and dress!"

"Airu!" Cho-Hakkaimon gasped as she was about to go save her partner.

Laylamon jumped out from underground and tightened an arm around Airu's throat, causing the girl to drop her X-Loader. "Not so fast!" The General placed a pointy finger nail at the side of Airu's throat. "Make one move and the girl is dead."

"You fiend!" the pig growled.

Airu squirmed in Laylamon's grasp. While she was good with battling, she wasn't a fighter herself nor did she think she was brave enough to do something like bite the lady's arm like captives would do on TV. It was more than likely that Laylamon would just get angrier and pierce her windpipe.

"Just let me get a few hits in and I'll let her go," Laylamon stated, licking her lips in anticipation. "But if you try to defend yourself or attack me, your partner is dead."

Cho-Hakkaimon gritted her teeth as she slowly dropped her weapon, despite her partner's head shaking. Laylamon believed she had turned the tide of the battle but just when she was about to summon the demonic hand again, another human girl suddenly appeared beside her. She had black hair tied in a single braid that went down to her waist, dark skin, rectangular spectacles, and a golden staff with a moon as the head.

With an innocent smile on her face, the woman spun her staff and swung it hard into Laylamon's face with the flat side of the moon. With a loud screech of pain, she ended up letting go of Airu as the older human grabbed her elbow and yanked her away.

"Thanks!" Airu gasped. "But who are you?"

The woman smiled. "The Mage of Compassion, Rai Aishwarya."

"Ugh!" Laylamon screamed. "Compassion?! You just batted me in the face! And more wrong information! They had told me your surname was Tabassam!"

Rai shrugged, not quite sure why having a different last name was such a bother to the enemy. Furthermore, hitting Laylamon in the face was the best way to free Airu that she could think of. "Well, I got married and took my husband's name so…"

The deep scowl on Laylamon's face undermined the mesmerizing beauty she once held. Well, the new scar on her cheek did that as well. But she took a deep breath to calm herself before putting on a smug smile. "No matter…" For a moment, Airu thought she heard her heartbeat reverberate through the air and in the next, she was suddenly on her knees. "I've at least killed one of you."

Cho-Hakkaimon was by her partner's side immediately. "Airu!" She shot a glare at Laylamon. "What did you do to her?!"

"There's a scratch on her neck where my nail was," Laylamon answered. "Even something as small as that is enough for my poison to invade her system. In a matter of seconds, the virus will have spread to her whole body and she will be dead."

Airu's breathing became labored as the figures and objects in front of her were starting become abstract shapes. There was a burning sensation starting from her throat and moving into her head and chest, making her wish she could tear her skin off. But almost as soon as those feelings were there, they were gone. Had she already died and ascended the physical plane? But if that were true, why would her knees still feel like they were on rubble.

"Wha...?" Airu blinked. "I… I feel okay!"

The ugly scowl was back. "But how?!"

"I'm a healer," Rai answered. "The word 'Mage' isn't in my title to look pretty. This staff has copied so many healing techniques in the past that it just remembers by default, without having me to copy it again. You shouldn't underestimate humans, Laylamon."

"Why you… I'll get you both!" Laylamon screeched. "Phantom Pain!"

"Hold on to me!" Rai called to the other girls. As soon as they had some body part touching her, she raised her staff and a flash of light enveloped the area. "Magical Game: Teleport!" The rotting breath didn't even touch them as they disappeared and reappeared behind the female general.

"Cho-Hakkaimon! Floramon! Digi-Xros!"

Together, Rai and the Digimon expelled a yellow powder all over Laylamon's head, paralyzing her body and rendering her unable to even turn around to face her enemies. No matter how she looked at it, the battle was over for her.

 **December 21: Shibuya Wreckage — 10:21 AM**

"Digimon Capture Complete!" Ren huffed, falling to his butt in an exhausted heap.

"You _just_ beat him?" a familiar voice called out.

Ren and Janyu turned to see the girls approaching them which told them that they had defeated Laylamon a couple of minutes ago. But they didn't have the time to even greet them as more people started coming. This time, it was Ryouma and Kuroku, the former with his arm in a makeshift sling from supplies that the old man brought with him.

"Don't get a big head," Kuroku stated. "Laylamon is weak compared to the other two generals. She's more of a manipulator than she is a fighter."

Airu nodded, understanding what he was trying to say. "Don't worry; my biggest strength is the fact that our enemies underestimate me. I'll make sure not to let it ironically become my downfall. But it still kind of stings that the Demon Lords think I'm nothing special."

"Still, I can't believe these guys were so bent on revenge that they would follow the Demon Lords' orders," Ren sighed. "Did they learn nothing from their past?"

Suddenly, Tactimon spoke up from inside Ryouma's X-Loader. "It wasn't because of vengeance. The Demon Lords just amplified those negative feelings to give us a bigger reason to fight you guys. In truth, given the choice, we wouldn't listen to them. But they implant viruses in us that can torture us, give us a pain worse than dying a thousand times, and the only way to relieve it is either to die for real or to become a partner of a Chosen."

"So in a way, you lifted our curse," said Blastmon.

"Doesn't mean we'll cooperate with you brats," Laylamon added bitterly.

That explained it. Most of their old enemies didn't seem like the type to follow orders from someone else but when that someone else had as much power as the Demon Lords, it was nearly impossible to resist them. They were death personified, and if they wanted, they could kill and kill and kill the same person as many times as they wanted without ever relinquishing them to death.

"How cruel," Airu muttered.

Ryouma nodded in agreement before taking in the sight of what was left of the Shibuya district once more. "Those Demon Lords, I can't forgive them!"

 **December 21: Primary Village — 4:16 PM**

"This is Kristy, reporting in."

The teenager stood at the edge of Primary Village, telling the people of Hypnos and DATS what had occurred that day. It was a rather long story to tell as she watched Jeri and TK sleep soundly in their cots. They both received several injuries throughout the day so they were being bandaged up by Elecmon and their new friend, Koh.

Earlier that day, Tommy took down the Legendary Warrior of Wood, Arbormon. He received aid from Private Commandramon of the United Xros Heart Army.

Kristy and Jeri took on NeoDevimon, an old enemy of Robert McCoy's group. It was then that Biyomon evolved to his Mega form for the first time, Eaglemon, but just when the tides had turned, they did so again. NeoDevimon's mask broke and he went ballistic, attacking crazily, wildly, he was completely unhinged. Fortunately, before delivering the final blow, Apocalymon took him away. Afterwards, they found the Zero Unit marking on Jeri's stomach, the reason why she was injured as badly as she was.

During this, Takato and Taiki mounted a siege on Apollomon's fortress, or more accurately, Whispered's fortress. Koh Regulus showed up and saved them at the last minute. As it would turn out, Apollomon and Marsmon were both his partners. But the rest of his Digimon were destroyed along with City thanks to the Demon Lords.

Finally, there was TK at the peak. Devimon made the boy go through several illusions, each one worse than the last. He sustained many injuries while facing fake old enemies but thanks to Musyamon and Turuiemon, the mentors of Daisy and Janyu respectively, he was saved. MagnaAngemon was able to send Devimon running, but the fallen angel still lives.

"Tomorrow at daybreak, a fleet from the United Xros Heart Navy will pick us up," Kristy continued. "They will be led by CaptainHookmon, Babel's mentor."

Takato couldn't sit still. There was just something not right with seeing one of his oldest friends sleeping in the middle of the day with dried blood on her shirt. Leormon was curled up on Jeri's stomach, just as worried, and just as injured. But because he's a Digimon, he was healing a lot faster.

"This medicine should speed of the healing process," Musyamon stated, handing Takato the vial. "When she wakes up, make sure she drinks it."

The Tamer nodded. "Thank you."

The three youngest kids were sitting against the plush house that Elecmon lived in, their knees pulled up to their chests. Tommy already knew how dangerous this world was but the other two looked really scared. So when Kristy started walking back, the Legendary Warrior stood up.

"Any response yet?" he asked before lowering his voice. "Do they know if they can send people back?"

Kristy shook her head. "I just sent in a report. It'll be a while before we hear anything. Let's just rest until morning."

It sounded like a good idea. After all, they were all fatigued due to the events of the day, it was best if they rested up. Tomorrow was probably going to be exhausting as well. Now Shinya and Ai understood why the older kids were afraid of bringing anyone but partnered Chosen along.

Current Group: TK (Unconscious), Takato, Jeri (Unconscious), Ai, Tommy, Shinya, Kristy, Taiki, and Koh

 **December 21: Underground Tunnels — 4:16 PM**

"Is this thing on? Yeah, okay, um, this is JP, reporting in."

After they got out of the Frozen Palace and Kenta told them why the Demon Lords were so desperate to get the Olympos XII, Cherrymon took them to an underground tunnel system. For now, they were resting in a large hollow space while JP recounted the day's events.

Upon arrival, Rika was kidnapped by IceDevimon and then enslaved by the Dark Spirals, once designed by the Digimon Emperor. Kenta was the only one in their group to not attend the rescue mission as MarineAngemon had caught sight of a Control Spire nearby. Thus, they ended up splitting from the group.

Inside the castle, JP and Kouji stayed behind on the first floor in order to fight the Legendary Warrior of Earth and the IceDevimon they had met on their own adventures. Working together, they were able to defeat their foes but the fallen angel escaped. A similar story to the group back on File Island.

On the second floor, due to Ryo's recklessness, a trap ended up separating the girls and the guys. Kari and Nene had the bad luck of running into Zamielmon and his factory workers. Etemon, one of Nene's partners, was destroyed there and if it hadn't been for Minervamon, the Olympian, things would've been much worse. As it would turn out, Minervamon and Mervamon were once one and the same. But the Olympian had performed a spell wrong that was supposed to split her personalities, it ended up splitting their power as well.

Davis and Ryo continued to the top floor where they were forced to fight Sakuyamon. If Kenta hadn't learned to bio-merge with his partner in order to become Neptunemon, thus sending Arukenimon and Mummymon running and destroying the control spire, Sakuyamon would've been captured. At this moment, it was only Ryo and Monodramon that were taken by IceDevimon.

Leaving the castle, Mervamon was no longer with them. She promised she'd meet them at Shoutmon's Kingdom Town after she discussed certain things with Minervamon. Now, Nene Amano was short two partners for the time being.

"I can't believe this!" Rika yelled, kicking up the sand.

"Calm down," said Kari. "What happened to Ryo wasn't your fault."

The redhead slammed the back of her fist against the wall. "But if I hadn't gotten captured…"

JP returned to the group before handing the device over to Kenta. "Here, tell HQ what you know about the Olympos XII."

Current Group: Davis, Kari, Rika, Kenta, Kouji, JP, and Nene

 **December 21: Trailmon — 4:16 PM**

"This is Henry… A lot happened today. So this is my report."

The boy paused, wondering where to go from there as he looked out the window at the scenery passing by at several kilometers per minute. There was something churning in his stomach. He couldn't pin down what this feeling was but he knew something bad had happened.

Yolei, Kouichi, and Mako ended up in the Ruins of Light where they encountered Duskmon of all beings. They couldn't do much so they flew through the underground labyrinth while awaiting assistance from the others. But they were in as much trouble as those three.

Zoey had to fight Ranamon all over again but she succeeded in taking down the Legendary Warrior of Water. The only loss was her hair which was now in a pixie cut.

Henry and Kiriha found themselves fighting Gravimon and his massive army which had been approaching Fire Terminal to destroy it. After all, it was an important stronghold to the resisting army. Unfortunately, while they were able to temporarily eliminate him thanks to Kiriha's strategizing, they were unable to find him before he destroyed the whole town and several civilians. That's why they were on this train to get to the Kingdom Town.

Kazemon went into the ruins to find Ken and Relena, both of whom were already inside. But when direct confrontation with Duskmon came, Ken and Kazemon were knocked out cold. With Kouichi already unconscious and Mako without a partner, it was up to the girls to fight the corrupted Warrior. That was when Hawkmon evolved into Sylphimon using Gatomon data from a found digivice and Bearmon evolved into Pandamon. Together, they were able to beat Duskmon and free Sayo Centauri, the host of the Warrior and owner of the digivice.

Like Koh, she hailed from City though from the opposite faction known as Night Crow while he was from Light Fang. She explained that she had gone to find a friend named Rhythm for Marcus, whom she owed her life to, before she got captured.

"That about sums it up," Yolei nodded.

Bokomon and Neemon were both extremely quiet as they sat on their chairs, looking out the window and attempting to see what they've passed. It was as if they were trying to find their hometown but they would never be able to.

"When this is all over, let's work together to rebuild the Digital World," said Relena. "Fire Terminal, City, and every other place that was ravaged by the Demon Lords."

Kiriha nodded, wanting to do the same. "If anyone can fix everything that's been broken, it would be us."

"Henry?" Kouichi had noticed that the Tamer had gone silent after sending in the report. "You okay?"

The boy didn't answer right away. He just wished that bad feeling could just go away. But the fact that it was there meant something terrible happened. Back home? To Suzie? What was it? "I'm fine; I'm just a little preoccupied."

"Momentai," his partner murmured in his arms.

"Right… Momentai…"

Current Group: Yolei (Injured), Ken (Injured), Henry, Mako, Zoey (Injured), Kouichi, Relena, Kiriha, and Sayo

 **December 21: Blizzard Fields — 4:16 PM**

"This is Cody Hida… I'm reporting in."

The caravan hit a pothole and everyone inside were airborne for just a few seconds before landing back into their seats. Julia and her partner were in the car up front, driving rather fast, but she had insisted on being behind the wheel.

"That woman is going to get us killed before the Demon Lords even have the chance to," Glare huffed.

When the group landed in the Digital World, Suzie, Kazu, and Yutaka were immediately captured by the enemy and taken into Sukkakumon. The beast spirit of steel was disguised as the Wicked Tower to catch them off guard when they entered. This way, it would be easier to separate the group.

Keenan ended up fighting Merukimon, the Digimon that took care of him after Frigimon died. If Julia hadn't shown when she did, he would have a knife as large as he through his torso. They defeated the Olympian and he turned into a Digi-Egg.

Cody and Yuu were together at first, but after taking down the enemies in the first Area, they were split up. SuperStarmon, one of Yuu's partners, ended up with the younger male though.

Cody was forced into battle with a copy of Neptunemon. There, using Angemon data that SuperStarmon carried around, Shakkoumon was formed. The brunet's partner was able to defeat the giant mermaid with the help of the humanoid star.

Yuu was in a more difficult predicament as he came face to face with NeoMyotismon and the three human hostages. The captives had been tortured and crucified. Suzie had taken the most damage for her resistance. With Antylamon's healing properties helping the Dark General's regeneration, the battle seemed impossible. But with Digimon allies from the other Chosen Children, they were at least able to save Kazu and Yutaka. Unfortunately, Suzie and her partner are still in the enemy's grasp.

Takuya and Risa went through the most Areas. The Fire Area, where the Legendary Warrior had to beat off countless Meramon. The Wind Area, where he faced off with a Darkdramon, a former enemy of the very first DigiDestined and where Glare showed to give the boy the power to become EmperorGreymon. And since Glare and Julia already went through the Thunder Area, that just left three more to go.

Alone, Takuya had to face off against a rampaging MadLeomon who Taiki once fought. He sustained multiple broken bones during the fight so he's currently resting in the back of the caravan but he also had to face ShadowSeraphimon and Mercurymon afterwards. Thanks to a lesson in Latin dancing in his past with Zoey, EmperorGreymon implemented that in battle and defeated the last two foes.

Unfortunately, Sakkakumon came to life after Takuya exited and the group was forced into one more battle before moving on. With Cody's quick thinking, they were able to keep him still enough to deliver the killing blow. In his last seconds before getting absorbed into the D-Tector, he revealed that Cody was hiding some sort of secret from the others.

All was not well after the fight though. Kazu made the decision to leave the group and Keenan followed to keep him safe. They were now short three Chosen Children.

"Glare," said Cody. "You said you knew what the Demon Lords might be planning."

The chief of Light Fang nodded. "There is only one reason that they would want to keep Merukimon alive. You see, there's a legend that when all the Olympians are gathered together, Mount Olympus will show itself. Anyone who can reach the summit of that mountain will be granted any wish. In other words, the ability to rearrange the universe in any way they wanted. Since there will always be a resistance to their hostile takeover…"

"They might plan on wishing everyone to follow them," Yuu concluded.

"We can't let that happen!" Armadillomon stated.

Ophanimon placed a gentle hand on the Rookie's shell. "Not to worry, we already have four Olympians in our custody, five if you include Merukimon's egg. As for the rest, well, they haven't been seen in several millenia, I doubt they'd reveal themselves now."

"Just getting one is nearly impossible," Glare continued. "But gathering all twelve?"

Cody leaned back in his seat. "The Demon Lords can simply destroy everything until there's no place left to hide though. If they get any wish possible, they can easily just bring back everyone they destroyed and then make them their loyal subjects."

"Oh, that will be not good, not good at all!" Damemon whined.

"But that's why we're here," Takuya groaned. Yutaka quickly tried to get his head back down on the cushion but even as badly injured as he was, he resisted. "To prevent that. We'll definitely beat the Demon Lords, I'm sure of it."

Current Group: Cody, Risa (Unconscious), Takuya (Injured), Yutaka (Injured), Yuu, Glare, and Julia

-X-

 **Ren and Airu have done their jobs, with a little help from the very first Chosen Children. As for everyone in the Digital World, well, we've seen everything that's happened up until now. But what comes next now that the immediate dangers are behind them? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **I'm sure many of you need a recap seeing as how this is an insanely long story. The recap will continue in the next chapter but there will be new developments happening at the same time. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed and don't forget to leave a review. But seriously, dozens of followers and favorites, but two reviews?**

 **EDIT: Oh my lord, the spelling mistakes in this chapter were ridiculous? What was I doing when I was writing this?! Hopefully, I've fixed all of them.**


	18. Allies Here and There

**Everyone:** Happy anniversary!

 **Tai** : Today, we're celebrating the day it all started, August first. That was when my friends and I were transported to the Digital World from summer camp. Since then, the adventure has evolved in so many ways but every time, with your support, we come out triumphant.

 **Takato** : We just wanted to thank all of you were cheering us on over the years and we hope you continue to support the franchise through Tri as well as the fics. This involves leaving reviews because it would be pretty helpful and encouraging.

 **Kouichi** : For now, we'd like to answer a few guest questions. The first asks us who we were reporting to in the previous chapter.

 **Thomas** : That's easy enough. You see, those of us staying on Earth have no idea what's going on in the Digital World. So to keep us up to date, we've asked the younger kids to send us audio reports from time to time. It's important that we watch out for our friends.

 **Kari** : Our next question is for the Hunters and the Generals. Aside from Tagiru's Goldramon, what other new Digimon have you guys attained?

 **Taiki** : Oh… Well, Digimon didn't appear that often in the DigiQuartz and when they did, most of us didn't bond with them unless they wanted to. So I don't think there's anyone really new in my collection you guys haven't met.

 **Nene** : It's true, you guys have met most of our partners already. If there are others, we'll be sure to inform you guys though!

 **Veemon** : Don't forget to support Zero's other fics. So in case you want to know about Robert's adventures, be sure to check out Children of the Past!

 **Neemon** : If you're looking for something cuter, check out Fifty Fluffy Drabbles! Though I don't know why you would… I'm not in it.

 **Terriermon** : But if something for adults is more your speed, fufu, then I highly recommend Zero's newest M-rated story, Love and Lost! You'll have to read Love or Lust first though since it is a sequel. I don't know what kind of inappropriate stuff happens in it since Henry won't let me but I hear it's got the fluff and realism that his other stories don't.

 **Kristy** : Okay, that's enough shameless promotion from the Digimon. Just… continue cheering us on, okay?

-X-

 **December 22: Sapporo - 11:04 AM**

The sound of a motorcycle could be heard getting closer towards the wreckage that was Hokkaido's capital. It was kind of ironic that five years ago, the destruction of the island by Yggdrasil and the Royal Knights had been blamed on a tsunami. This time, the deed really had been done by a massive tidal wave.

The two-wheeled vehicle came to an abrupt stop behind the police tape where the men in blue were standing guard. They had to make sure that no one randomly walked into the destroyed site in case remnants of the enemy were still lurking. Though the rider didn't seem at all bothered by the possibility of running into a fight.

"Excuse me sir," one of the policeman said. "You aren't allowed to go in there."

The rider took off his helmet to reveal his dark-skinned face and dyed blond hair. He had a rather pissed expression to being told what to do as he marched right up to the tape and tried to force his way through. "Out of my way."

"Sir, we told you, you can't be here!"

"Shut up! I know more about this than you do!"

Behind the yellow tape, there was a woman with her long blonde hair tied in a ponytail over her shoulder wearing a lab coat. Upon hearing the man's voice, she looked up, recognizing it as belonging to a person who once shared the same fate as she. But while the woman had moved on the greater things, the rider seemed to be stuck in the past.

"Let him through," the woman stated authoritatively.

The rider finally stopped trying to push through when he saw the scientist. "Nanami…"

A scholar who could not be rivaled until the day she fought Thomas in battle. After she was saved by the doctor, she was given the opportunity to work for DATS as a researcher where her intellect could be challenged daily. She now works everyday to atone for the sins of her past.

"It's good to see you too," Nanami greeted, she crossed her arms over her chest. "Kouki."

Kouki and Nanami walked through the rubble as the latter explained that she was there to see if there was any important data lying around. If Splashmon left just one of his creations or if a Voidling somehow dropped a piece of their data, it was impertinent that she brought it back for testing. As for Kouki, he was simply drawn to places that were struck down by Digimon.

The pair met up with the third person who once shared their same fate, Ivan. Just like them, the muscular westerner fought on the wrong side against the Data Squad. But when he lost to Yoshino, it was found out that he had done it for money in order to support his many younger siblings. He was then offered a job as a policeman so that he could continue sending support to them without having to live with a guilty conscience. He too, works for atonement.

"Kouki, what are you doing here?" Ivan inquired.

"To breathe in the dust," Kouki answered curtly. His hands were shoved into his sweatpants as he kicked a broken chunk of concrete around. "What the hell happened to this world?"

Ivan and Nanami, both working for DATS thanks to the people who saved them from their fate, knew everything that had occurred. With the chaos starting back in September when Yagami High accepted several first-year Chosen Children into their student body. That was how the various teams met.

They fought several battles, a few of them even unlocking new evolutions along the way like Jeri, Kouichi, and Ken. Tai and his team regained the power of their crests at the end of October, during a battle in the cemetery. It was there that the Hunters and Generals entered the picture with their ability to combine the powers of two or more Digimon.

The following month, Armageddemon reared his ugly head once again, along with hundreds of thousands of his pre-evolutions, wreaking havoc all across the globe. Even against multiple powerhouses, they were unable to make a dent in him due to his ability to regenerate. A fact that was exposed by Masamune Kurosaki, a former teacher of Yagami and the person who threatened Ken to murder Henry Wong.

But thanks to MagnaAngemon's glorious return to the team, they were able to send the behemoth packing. Though not everything was okay yet.

Three of the Demon Lords showed up in their world a few days ago, taking lives and destroying property. The DigiDestined were absolutely helpless as their partners were defeated one by one. In order to save the children, Yamaki reactivated a debugged Juggernaut. In the last second, Barbamon destroyed Shibuya train station and the surrounding area, kidnapping Impmon while he was at it. So what started as a mission to protect the Digital World, became a rescue operation as well.

"I honestly believed this Digimon business was over five years ago," Ivan sighed. "But then this happens."

Nanami shook her head. "Even after the events that had transpired five years ago, there was trouble. The Legendary Warriors, the Generals, they were born from the strife that happened in their respective Digital Worlds. And now, they've all met for what I hope to be the last time the multiverse is ever in danger."

"What about everything happening now?" Kouki asked.

The man barely paid attention to the news conferences and information outlet headlines. To him, the media was going to twist the information in any way possible to make Digimon seem evil. So rather than get pissed at biased reporters and articles, he decided to get the information right from the source. Unfortunately, that source was miles away in Tokyo, so he was going to have to settle for this.

"You know what happened here," Ivan sighed, kicking up random debris. "Splashmon showed up with his mechanical minions and roughed up the place. Yoshino showed up with these three other girls and took care of things though. I think the youngest one, still really cute though, helped her partner evolve to a further stage than usual."

"Akari Hinomoto and Dorulumon to JagerDorulumon," Nanami filled in before using her clipboard to hit Ivan's bicep. "And leave your unnecessary thoughts of this!"

Of course, Hokkaido wasn't the only place to be targeted by a Dark General.

In Tokyo bay, there was a pirate ship that appeared with Olegmon and the rest of his brainwashed crew. Zenjirou was able to hunt him after evolving Ballistamon to AtlurBallistamon. And in Aokigahara forest, trouble brewed in the form of a flood of dragons. Marcus and Tagiru together were able to take down the leader, Dorbickmon, while Tai and Matt found a way to evolve to Mega to defeat Alphamon.

"Sounds like these kids have had a full past few days," Kouki grimaced.

"I'll say," said Nanami.

Ivan nodded. "We should do our best to support them from the sidelines."

Nanami hit him again with the clipboard because it was definitely the wrong thing to say in front of Kouki. If there was anything their friend didn't want, it was to be watching 'from the sidelines' when he could help on the frontlines! But it's not like he had a Digimon partner and he no longer had the ability to become one himself. The best he could do was cheer them on.

The blond man turned away from the other two, trying to take deep and controlled breaths like his therapist told him to whenever he started to get angry. Without someone to guide him onto a better path like Ivan and Nanami did, he ended up blowing up at every little thing that made him mad. That was when his two former co-workers convinced (more like forced) him to get someone to help his anger management.

Kouki had no friends or family to take care of them, Ivan and Nanami felt responsible for him because of that. So for the past five years, they've watched over him. It was just like how they were watching him now as he silently counted to one hundred.

Nanami walked over to their friend, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I was recently asked by Thomas if I could go to Tokyo to help create a way for the children to return to Earth. If you want, the plane is big enough for a few more passengers."

"Go all the way to Tokyo?" Kouki muttered.

"It's the epicenter of this madness," Ivan put in. "I'll be transferring there myself since there aren't enough police officers there to quell the riots and anti-Digimon protests."

Kouki punched his open palm. "Does quell mean pound?"

"Not even close," Nanami shot down.

At that moment, there was a man's scream coming from the south end of the quarantined area. Even though two out of three of them had no training in protecting the peace, they still instinctively turned to the sound and raced there. That was how they found a petrified policeman on the ground, staring at three Voidlings slowly approaching him.

"What are those things?" Kouki frowned.

"Remnants of the battle here," Nanami answered. "And the things I was supposed to receive a sample of to take to Hypnos for research and analysis."

Ivan pulled out his handgun from his holster, aiming it at the shadowy creatures that had knives for right arms. But Nanami stopped him, explaining that conventional weapons didn't work unless they were imbued with a DigiSoul. It would just be a waste of ammo. But Kouki seemed elated to hear this news.

"Then I guess that means it's my time," he grinned as he lunged forward.

The other two watched as their third was ducking under slices as he tried to get his blows in. However, these creatures were nimbler than they looked and it was as if they learned to defend themselves after their previous fight with Yoshino and Daisy. They were as evasive as flies and just as annoying.

"We need to help him," Nanami concluded. "But try to get a skin sample!"

Ivan's eyes bulged out of his head for a moment. "Those things have skin?!"

"Oh, just grab something that can be analyzed!" Nanami huffed before the pair ran in.

Ivan was the first to take his foe down as his larger build allowed him to crush the enigma underneath his frame, with his bulky arm pinning the Voidling down by the throat. With a feat of his strength, he yanked out the knife, the only physical part of the creature's body, which dripped from the end with dark droplets.

"Yeah… I guess this counts as a sample," Ivan murmured.

Kouki was next as he batted away the knife with the back of his forearm and then landing six consecutive punches into the Voidling's stomach. With a roundhouse kick, he tore off the creature's head, letting the thing melt into a puddle of blackness.

Nanami had no martial arts training of any kind, unlike the other two. But she was smart and had much better control of her DigiSoul. She knew how to infuse objects with it unlike the other two thanks to so much contact with digital information in DATS. She even swiped Ivan's firearm when he wasn't looking as well as the frozen officer's. Three bullets into the head was all it took to bring the creature down.

"There," she smiled. "All done."

"When and where did you learn to do that?" Kouki inquired.

"From watching old records of the Data Squad fighting," she answered. "Ivan, bring me the sample before all that dark stuff finishes dripping."

The three of them didn't really speak as they made sure the cop was going to be okay and the Voidlings were down for good. Even without having to discuss it though, they were all mentally preparing themselves for a trip to Tokyo. After all, they had a feeling they would want to be there for when it all goes down.

 **December 22: Hypnos - 11:04 AM**

Due to recent events, the streets of Shinjuku were filled with people throwing cautious looks around as they shopped for groceries and panicked dissenters blaming the government for what's been happening. But what made this an odd scene was the fact that there were barely anyone younger than adults outside. Teenagers and children were being kept indoors at all times because of the paranoia that came along with the destruction.

It made a particular group of four, making their way towards the Hypnos building, feel even more awkward as people sent stares in their direction. After all, the only kids that would have the guts to be outside are either Chosen Children or those with parents who don't care. And while the latter wasn't true… neither was the former.

"You youngsters must be crazy!" a drunken old man had cried out to them. "Do you really think those, those, those monsters are good?!"

The tallest male in the group stopped the other three from arguing with him. This man wasn't there when those kids had been to the Digital World. Where they were constantly being protected and watched over and taken care of by a certain angelic Digimon. Those four humans were the ones who had done him wrong at the time, not the other way around.

"There's no point in arguing," the boy had said. "He wouldn't understand."

The drunkard snorted. "Ha! It's you four who don't understand!"

Finally, they had made it to Hypnos, Katsuharu, Teppei, Teruo, and Chiaki. The four of them were humans that rode a Trailmon into the Digital World along with the Legendary Warriors. But when they were told to return because they weren't the chosen ones, they refused, wanting to experience an adventure for themselves. Thus, their destinies were locked along with that of the Digital World.

"Takuya's friends?" Yamaki repeated into the phone. He had received a call from the receptionist in the lobby downstairs. But he had expected it to be about another reporter wanting the scoop on the kids in the other world. This was rather unexpected. "I supposed they do deserve a right to know what's been happening, send them up."

The imposing building along with the rushing scientists and stoic men in suits was rather unnerving for the teenagers who were in a white waiting room. There wasn't much aside from a window that showed the outside bustle of the city, a brown couch they were sitting on, and the coffee table where platters of tea was being served to them. It was... rather strange for them.

Megumi and Miki were the ones to give them their beverages but they were also tasked with the duty of conversation. They seemed like the best options to talk to the four kids.

"Please… Can you tell us about our friends?" inquired Chiaki, the only one brave enough to break the silence.

Teruo fidgeted in his seat. "We haven't heard from any of them in over twenty-four hours so we're really worried. What's happened to them?"

"They're fine," Miki reassured them in a motherly tone. She could see where they were coming from though. Just thinking about what Keenan, Kristy, and Relena have gone through on day one was enough to age her a few years. "A little worse for wear, but doing fine."

Katsuharu, the one who seemed to be the leader of this group, took a deep breath, uncrossing his arms and leaning forward. "Can you tell us everything?"

The women told the kids about the events that had transpired just the day before, knowing that they could trust these four not to run to the media and spout half-truths about how two DigiDestined went missing and others were brought to the brink of death. After all, Katsuharu and his friends were the ones leading rallies in support of Digimon. They were the ones running through every neighborhood in Tokyo, getting people to donate clothes, food, anything they could spare to the homeless victims in Shibuya.

"For Tommy's group on File Island," Miki continued. "Like they said, ships came to take them to the Kingdom Town just five hours ago. Good thing too, because after every human, Digimon, and egg was on board, legions of the enemy army landed. Most likely to take back the island."

Megumi nodded as she continued to the next group. "Kouji's and JP's group is still traveling through the underground network. Nothing much has changed and hopefully it will remain that way until they reach their destination."

"Zoey and Kouichi are on a Trailmon with their team. Though they keep transferring vehicles in order to keep bad guys off their tracks and as a result, keep the refugees of Fire Terminal safe. It'll take them a whole week later to actually make it but things seem to be progressing okay."

"Thanks to the medicinal herbs Glare had, Takuya is doing much better. His group is traversing towards their rendezvous point by caravan. Despite moving the fastest, they're the furthest away so it will still take some time before any truly positive news reaches us."

The teenagers understood. But they had been hoping to communicate with their lost friends. It would seem that until they reached the Kingdom Town, nothing would be exchanged verbally anymore between Earth and the Digital World. It was always a possibility for the Demon Lords to be tracking them through their communication signals. Once they were in Kingdom Town, Wisemon could work out some way of hiding those signals.

"We'll wait…," Katsuharu murmured. "However long it takes."

"They'll come back safe, I know it," said Miki, not quite sure who she was saying it to. Them… or her.

 **December 22: ? - 12:00 PM**

When Ryo woke up in this large room with a white canopy bed, he wondered if he had fallen asleep in some socialite's pristine estate. But when a creepy shadow-like creature entered the room carrying an unconscious Suzie in its arms, he knew for sure it wasn't a time to be relaxed. The youngest Tamer was also covered in wounds and blood, but upon being placed on the bed, she immediately started healing.

Noon, one day later, Suzie suddenly opened her eyes. Ryo, who had been sitting on the edge of the bed, spun around immediately to make sure she was okay.

"I'm fine," she answered. Better than before anyway. "But… More importantly, where are we?"

The brunet wished he could give her the correct response. "My guess is that we're in the stronghold of the Demon Lords but I haven't seen anyone in this place aside from you and this weird humanoid creature made of shadows."

There weren't even any windows in the place so it's not like they could check the outside. There was, however, a bell of some sort somewhere because it would ring on every hour. Ryo figured this out the day before when he noticed how the chimes increased by one every time before resetting after twelve. It just so happened that the first gong of twelve happened after Suzie's awakening.

"The last thing I remember was snapping at NeoMyotismon," Suzie muttered. "Nothing else after that."

Ryo had a theory as to why he was taken but he couldn't understand why they would want Suzie. Sure, she had a lot of power and all but was that really enough of a reason to abduct her? Or was it her partner that was important? After all, Lopmon was one of the twelve Deva.

Suddenly, the doors flung open and a voluptuous female Digimon entered, her dress fluttering with each step. The pair of humans recognized her immediately as the Demon Lord of Lust, Laylamon. So this could only mean bad news from here on out.

"Good, you're both awake," Laylamon giggled.

Suzie was quick to bite as she pushed herself off the bed and marched right up to the Digimon's face. "Why are we here? Where are our partners? I swear, if you've done something to Lopmon, I'll personally tear you apart!"

"My, my," Laylamon laughed, pushing Suzie's threatening yet non-threatening finger out of her face. "You are a feisty one. I can see why IceDevimon decided on you."

"Decided on me?" Suzie frowned.

That was it! While Ryo didn't know all the details, he was aware that IceDevimon originally targeted Rika in order to gain her as a partner, as his Tamer. But it would appear that he had changed his mind due to the changes she has gone through over the years. Likewise, Suzie's overall demeanor has been altered as well, but in the opposite direction.

"Suzie would never be that freak's partner," Ryo spat. "She has one already."

Laylamon ignored him as she stepped past and sat down on the bed, bouncing a little before settling down. It irked the humans to see how much fun she was having while they were in distress. "But wouldn't it be nice to have more partners? Suzie, we can give you full control of the twelve Deva and Ryo, wouldn't you love to be in control of the Megadeath Monsters?"

"Megadeath Monsters?" Suzie repeated. As if she couldn't be more confused. To add to her outrage, she reached for her D-Power to look up these creatures but it wasn't in it's usual place. Then again, what did she expect? For the Demon Lords to leave her the only possession that could be used as a weapon to get out of here?

"A trio of powerful Digimon," Ryo muttered. "Each of them possessing almost twice as much power as Justimon."

"Twice?!" Suzie blanched. "But Justimon is nearly on the same level as a Royal Knight!"

"That's why they're called monsters," Laylamon grinned.

The Tamers kept glancing towards the open doorway, both considering making a break for it. But even if they tried to escape, they didn't know how big this structure was or even where the exit was supposed to be. Not to mention, if Laylamon was here, then there was the distinct possibility of running into one of the other Demon Lords. One that would prefer to destroy them rather than keep them around for amusement.

Just then, Kuzuhamon came through the open door, with Impmon following right behind her. Ryo and Suzie were both shocked to see him but relieved to find that he was unharmed. The dark creature bounded up to them, happy to see that they were okay as well even if they were in a precarious situation.

"Monodramon and Lopmon are locked up where I am," Impmon told them. "I was able to persuade the Demon Lords to let me see you at least so I can tell you they're okay."

"Thank you Impmon," Suzie told him. It wasn't enough to extinguish her seething rage but it would have to do for the moment.

Ryo stood back up and glared at Laylamon. "If you hate humans so much, why are we here? What is it that you want from us?"

The Demon Lord leaned back and closed her eyes, as if she was listening to a wonderful lullaby that was sending her off to sleep. The humans and Impmon wished that was the case. Maybe then they could try to find some way out.

"True, we do hate humans," said Laylamon. "But it's so much fun when the tables have been turned and they become _our_ slaves. You two will have your old and new partners but the word 'Tamer' won't exist. We should probably think of a new name for you two then… Ooh, how about… Akumako?"

"Demon child?" Ryo grumbled distastefully.

"Your eyes full of scorn match that of a true demon." She stood up then. "Akumako fits perfectly."

The one thing she refrained from telling them was that there was no way for the Demon Lords to leave their castle. As the Sovereigns were being captured, they used the last of their energy to erect a firewall around their stronghold, making it impossible for the Demon Lords to leave until the lives from the Digimon gods were fully drained. Until then, revived Digimon from the past were highly depended upon. Oh, and the two Akumako if things went well.

 **December 23: Hypnos - 5:16 PM**

Nanami's plane had arrived that morning and they were able to retrieve the Voidling sample for research and analysis. The Chosen Children that chose to remain on Earth, various civilian allies of theirs, and even Kuroku were there as the Monster Makers and other scientists typed away at their keyboards. The screen showed what looked to be microscopic images of the black goop but while they were similar to cells, they weren't sure of what.

"Demon cells!" Kuroku gasped when it hit him.

"What?" Yoshino frowned. "You mean cells from an actual demon? But how is that possible?"

Izzy shook his head. "We shouldn't cross it off as an impossibility. After all, there are possibly hundreds of worlds out there in the multiverse. Who's to say that one where demons reside doesn't exist? The only question is, how did Apocalymon get his hands on them?"

Marcus had an idea but he wasn't sure if he should say it. He didn't even know if that time he saw three actual demons was real! Though he suspected that it had been reality, it was uncertain as to whether or not Apocalymon received the cells from those specific beings.

"There should be one that can move between worlds," said Marcus, surprising them all.

"A demon?" Thomas frowned. "Did the Sovereigns tell you this bit of information as well?"

The brunet shook his head. "No… I met him before."

The entire room froze when they heard this. Kuroku seemed to be the most unsettled by this revelation as he started asking Marcus some questions concerning the demon's appearance, the one that could move between worlds. After a while, it was as if the old man's wildest and most irrational fears had been confirmed as he fell back into his chair.

Akari leaned forward, handing him a handkerchief so that he could wipe the sweat off his brow. "Are you okay, Kuroku? Does that creature ring a bell?"

The old man stared at Akari as if she was a stranger entering his house unannounced. "Yes." He sat up, taking deep breaths. "I've met eight demons in my long life and each one had devastating amounts of power. But the one who could destroy an entire planet with a literal blink of an eye would be the one Marcus just described. You see, the seven sins don't just have manifestations in the Digital World but the Demon World as well. The one we spoke of… is Wrath."

"The power to destroy an entire planet just like that?" Mimi shivered.

"So why hasn't he done it before?" asked Matt. "If he can move between worlds and he can destroy this planetjust like that…"

Kuroku wasn't quite sure himself though he had a faint idea. "Negative energy and emotions. That's what they feed on. The purest form and the heaviest supply… comes from humans. They must be keeping the human race alive to make _all_ of the demons strong enough to break through the barrier between worlds."

"But would they want to?" Sora asked. "What purpose would that serve them?"

"For the twins of Gluttony, they'd have a feast of sinful humans to devour," Kuroku started. "For Envy, platters of talented and attractive humans to destroy. For Greed and Lust, they'd want all the money and lovers in the world. And Pride despises the self-entitled humans who think they are better than others. They all have their reasons."

There was one thing Marcus didn't understand. "If the one I met was Wrath… Why… did he just take my punch without so much as a pinch in return?"

There was no answer for this. Even so, there were still numerous questions. For example, why would the digital Demon Lords be working together with the actual ones? Were they going to use the Mount Olympus wish in order to allow the demons through? And the most important question, were they even in cahoots with each other?

Yamaki suddenly spoke up. "Well, I guess we have a new plan. Gather the twelve Olympians before they do… And make a wish to bring peace to the multiverse."

 **December 25: Miracle Sea - 1:14 PM**

Shinya let out a heavy sigh as he hung over the side of the railing. Kristy grabbed the back of his collar when he started drooping too far, reeling him back in. They docked not too long ago to restock their supplies and he was cheerful the previous day, so it was unlikely that he was seasick. In all likelihood, he was just hungry, they hadn't eaten since this morning.

"The crew is working on lunch right now," said Kristy. "You'll be able to eat soon."

Biyomon was leaning his head against the wooden railing, his pink wings over his stomach and his beak on his chest. "I hope so because I'm starving!"

Shinya sank down to the deck, hugging his knees to his chest. "It's not that. I was just wondering if I could really find a Digimon partner of my own so I could help out. Everyone else is working so hard to keep Ai and me safe… But I don't want to be a burden."

Kristy couldn't help thinking back to five years ago, before Biyomon had come into her life. She would always be standing back while Marcus, Thomas, Yoshino, and even Keenan would protect her from danger. She never considered herself a burden, her involvement in the Digimon incidents were limited to arm's length. As a matter of fact, before Biyomon, she never even desired to have a partner.

But then Yggdrasil showed up in their world. Kristy realized that she couldn't be depending on DATS officers to protect her and her mother. No matter what happened, she was willing to defend the Earth that she loved so much and the people who have always protected it and her. That was when she realized how much she wanted to be like her older brother.

"You love Earth, right?" Kristy asked.

"Eh?" Shinya blinked. "Well… Things like homework and slave-driving teachers suck but there are also a lot of fun things to do and great people as well. So yeah, I guess I do."

"What about Digimon?" Kristy continued. "How do you feel about them?"

The younger boy wasn't quite sure where she was going with this. "I haven't met a lot, not like you guys. But just like humans, they're all very different. So I suppose, if I think about, there are a lot of great Digimon as there are humans."

"Well, if you love them, that means you'd be willing to protect them with everything you've got," said Kristy. "And I'm sure a Digimon will understand those feelings, and will want to be by your side. You don't have to force that kind of bond with a Digimon. It'll happen, I'm sure of it."

Shinya smiled. "Thanks Kristy. I just wish I could have a partner _now_."

Suddenly, a gunshot rang through the salty air, causing Shinya to flinch in shock. Kristy was just as surprised, though not by the bullet that had made a dent right next to Shinya's head. She was simply stunned by the fact that the other human had hugged her so abruptly out of fright. They turned to the shooter who happened to be Commandramon.

"If you have time to mope, you have time to train," Commandramon told Shinya before tossing him a handgun. "Come on."

The two humans without Digimon partners to protect them were learning how to handle firearms from the private. The older kids didn't think it was a good idea but it was true that they needed to learn how to defend themselves. Everyone else was going through combat training already with Turuiemon and Musyamon, in case the need ever arises.

"So long as my partner isn't someone like Commandramon, I'm good," Shinya whispered.

Commandramon whipped his head around with a scowl on his face. "What was that?"

"Eep! Nothing!" Shinya stood and ran over to the armed dragon's side.

Biyomon sat up. "Geez, poor Shinya."

"You think so?" Kristy giggled. "I kind of think he's having fun." The pink bird gave his partner a confused expression. "Shinya's clearly an adventurous spirit but everyone continues to coddle him as if he needs to be protected. So far, Commandramon is the only one to treat him as someone who can protect himself."

"Well," Biyomon nodded. "Humans in the Digital World do tend to grow up faster."

The pair looked up when the sound of two metals crashing into each other caught their attention from the main deck. There, Taiki watched as Musyamon and Koh danced around each other, blades cutting through the air in an intricate dance as sparks flew to the wooden floor. They were both fast, skilled, and while the strikes they made were perfectly timed and deadly, there was something beautiful to their movements as well.

"I never thought a human could match a Musyamon in swordsmanship," Shoutmon gaped.

"I'll say," Taiki muttered. "But Koh did say that he's been training with a blade since he was five."

"Yeah, but you know kendo, right?" the king interjected. "Isn't that swordplay as well?"

That may be true but it was obvious that Taiki's skill was leagues away from these two. When they disconnected and stood apart from each other, they were hardly sweating and their breathing hadn't increased at all. It was as if all they had done for the last three minutes was take a leisurely stroll along the shore at sunset!

"Taiki, you want to spar now?" Koh asked.

"Right," the General nodded, standing up. "I don't want to make a mistake like before."

Coronamon, who was outside the Data Burst Digivice, and watching on the sidelines with Shoutmon, stood up. "Taiki reminds me a lot of Koh, no wonder I was so drawn to him."

"What do you mean?" Shoutmon looked up just as their partners made the first clash.

"Fun, laid-back, but determined to help those in need," Coronamon explained. "Though my partner can be a little clumsy at times. And he always forgets his prior engagements. I can't tell you about how many meetings he's come late to."

"Oi! No need to paint me in a bad light!"

The two Digimon glanced at each other and snickered.

As for the other mentor Digimon, Turuiemon, she was watching over Jeri's training which involved increasing stamina and lots of meditation. It was likely that when and if she bio-merged with her partner that she would be a combat oriented Digimon. If Jeri wasn't prepared, she'd just end up holding back Leormon in a fight.

Tommy was asked to help Jeri out since he's taken karate classes and obviously, Turuiemon's skill level was much too great a difference. The Champion also implied that she had no idea how to bring herself down to someone else's level. So the two humans were sparring with each other though it wasn't to beat one another, it was simply to see who tired out first.

"Jeri is already out of breath," said Leormon. "She'll collapse at this rate!"

The bunny Digimon let out a heavy sigh. "My expectations for humans were set too high after training Janyu. It seems this pupil's no good."

The humans had broken away from each other, one was generally in decent shape while the other was huffing and puffing and coughing her lungs out. Jeri looked up at her mentor, sweaty palms on her knees as she tried to look fierce. It wasn't very effective.

"Tommy, don't stop," the brunette huffed. "I can keep going."

"Are you sure?" Tommy asked though he was already setting himself up into his stance.

Turuiemon clicked her tongue and shook her head, walking over to the Tamer. "You put too much force into your punches and kicks. You're not going for a death blow immediately. While flashy moves are a good way of ticking off your enemy, it won't do you any good in a test of endurance."

Leormon bounded over to his partner's side, wanting to make sure that she knew he was there for her if she needed his support. "I know you can do it, Jeri."

The Legendary Warrior would be lying if he said he wasn't envious of the relationship between these two. Jeri was working hard so that she could keep her partner from facing deletion while Leormon was fretting over the Tamer to make sure she didn't fall into depression. The boy's spirits were always by his side as well, but he hoped to protect them as they did for him. That's why this training was also to improve his own skills at the same time.

"If you want to continue, then let's," Tommy said to Jeri. "Otherwise, I'll be training on my own."

Jeri straightened out her spine and held her clenched fists out in front of her. "I'll keep going. I'll push my body to it's limit and keep going onwards!"

"That's the spirit!" Turuiemon cheered.

At the wheel, CaptainHookmon was showing Ai how to steer the ship without having her actually spin the wheel on her own. The young Tamer was even given a pirate's hat so she could really feel like the captain with the ocean's spray in her face. In a time of crisis, it was important to the humans that she continued to feel like a child.

Takato and TK were leaning over the railing with their backs to the captain and girl, watching as the Dolphmon jump out of the sea beside them. The pair had been talking about their next course of action. A lot had happened back on File Island and only more developments would be made in the future. It was impertinent that they tried to stay at least one step ahead of the enemy.

"How are your injuries?" Takato asked.

"Better than they were yesterday," TK answered, flexing his fingers.

The Tamer held up a card, changing it from blue to green and back to it's original form, the one-of-a-kind Grani card. It was almost like he was a performing a sleight of hand magic trick rather than sending his wishes into it. "Those Cutemon cards that we asked the Monster Makers to create work wonders."

Patamon ruffled his wings from atop TK's head. "Speaking of them, why do you think they were all so quiet when we asked about NeoDevimon?"

"There's something off about him, that's for sure," the blond boy nodded. "And of course, there's Devimon as well. We can't ignore him."

Takato understood where they were coming from. But there was just too much to worry about at once. The wish that could be made on Mount Olympus, the Demon Lords in general, the possibility of the D-Reaper coming, and the two kidnapped Tamers were all at the top of the list. However, the most prevalent worry on Takato's head was the fact that things had been so quiet lately. Did the Demon Lords really not know their location?

"We should stay on our toes, no matter what," said Takato.

"If anything bad happens, I'll just become MagnaAngemon and seal them away," Patamon suggested.

TK looked up at his partner. "According to what the Demon Lords implied, it would only be a temporary fix. We need to figure out a plan that can take even one of them down for good. But nothing comes to mind without the involvement of every single Digimon in the world."

"We'll just have to do what Kuroku said," Takato resolved, gripping his D-Power. "We have to surpass our peaks from back then."

TK frowned. "How? I don't think you can get any stronger than Gallantmon Crimson Mode."

"There's a way, I'm sure," Takato retorted with a shake of his head. "We'll find out, we'll exceed our limits, and we'll save this world and ours."

That was easier said than done. But if they believed in those words strongly enough, perhaps they could come out on top. However, as TK was about to respond, Guilmon abruptly started growling, pulling his head out from between the wooden railings to turn to the humans.

"Takato!" the red dino snarled, loud enough for the whole boat to hear.

The school of Dolphmon had started clicking erratically as they started swimming away from the ships in a panic. There was no sign of an enemy anywhere but judging from the way Leormon was bristling and the way Guilmon was glowering, it was clear that it was somewhere nearby. Whether it was high in the sky or deep under the surface, everyone was trying to catch a sight of this unseenfoe.

"Whoa!" Kristy yelped as the ship started rocking.

"Did I ever mention that I have slight seasickness?" Tommy groaned as he grasped onto the railing for dear life.

From the head of the ship, a creature began emerging from the water headfirst, and everyone was shocked by what they saw. Of all the creatures they would have to fight, it was going to be Armageddemon again?! TK had been right, MagnaAngemon's Gate of Destiny really _was_ only a temporary fix.

"All hands on deck!" CaptainHookmon bellowed. "It is time we slay the beast!"

-X-

 **Things in the human world seem to be going okay. Generally. Though the bad news of anti-Digimon dissenters, actual demons, possible conversion of Tamers into Akumako, and the latest return of Armageddemon definitely doesn't make things look good. It looks like the Chosen Children are going to be spending their Christmas on the battlefield. Keep cheering them on in the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **So I realize I am one day early for the anniversary but I think it works. I also realize, looking back, that some of my writing was atrocious technically speaking. So I've decided to actually edit works before posting. Working on Love and Lost that way has really boosted my patience. Anyway, hope you enjoyed, happy anniversary, and please leave a review! Ciao!**


	19. Making of a Miracle

**Mimi** : Uh, where's Zero?

 **Thomas** : Sleeping. He was on a plane from France to New York just a few days ago and he remains to be jet lagged. I think we should be grateful he even managed to post this chapter before passing out at his keyboard.

 **Jeri** : Isn't his birthday coming up soon? We should do something to celebrate. Or maybe get him a present.

 **Taiki** : How about the gift of reviews? After all, we only got three or four from the last chapter and Zero was pretty upset about it.

 **Rika** : Could you be any more shameless?!

 **Zero Unit** : *From behind the couch* Just read your lines!

 **JP** : Desperation is practically oozing out of him. Honestly, it's kind of a sad sight to see. Let's just ask the readers and get this over with so we can get on to the new chapter. We don't want to keep anyone waiting for too long.

 **DemiVeemon** : *Big baby eyes* Please readers, review after you're done reading today's chapter. We'd love to know your thoughts.

 **Rika** : What the hell?!

 **Zero Unit** : There is nothing wrong with using cuteness to persuade people to do things! Terriermon, Calumon, you guys are next!

 **Takuya** : Okay… Moving on. We hope you guys enjoy this chapter and don't forget to leave a review. Please. This is getting embarrassing.

-X-

 **December 25: Miracle Sea - 1:17 PM**

Armageddemon was a face that none of them had been hoping to see again but then it burst out of the water like a volcanic eruption. It took everything they got last time and they still couldn't destroy him. Though they had to consider themselves a little lucky at least. This time, they had two god Digimon with them and they knew the weak point of this behemoth.

"But how is this possible?!" Kristy screeched. "There is no way he should be able to stand in that water, it should be way too deep!"

CaptainHookmon turned the ship so that they wouldn't crash right into the front legs of the monster. "That's the 'Miracle' part in Miracle Sea! So long as you believe that you can, you'd be able to breathe underwater or even stand on top of it."

"Great, I always wanted to be Jesus for a day," Tomoki mumbled. He was starting to look a little green. It seemed like his heightened sense of touch made him much more aware of the rampant rocking of the boat, making him more nauseous than usual. "I'm getting off this crazy thing!"

The boy leapt off the side of the boat and landed on top of the water as Korikakumon, making nothing more than a few ripples rather than a giant splash. Turuiemon and Musyamon followed suit, running right behind the Legendary Warrior as they charged for the beast before them. The others on board took out their digivices and called out their Digimon allies or evolved them.

Takato pulled out his green card but before he could slide it through his D-Power, a voice cut through the salted air. "Shield of the Just!"

"Bio-Merge Activate!" At the last second before the beam of light hit, Gallantmon appeared. Using his shield, he was able to protect himself from the attack but it was still strong enough to blow him off his feet and send him crashing through the side of the boat and into the water.

"Takato!" TK called out.

"I'm fine!" Gallantmon coughed.

The humans that were not in Digimon form turned their heads to the assailant and to their shock, it was another Gallantmon. But this one exuded an aura of devastating power. It was Apollomon who recognized this newcomer.

"The Royal Knight, Duke!" Apollomon gasped. "But I thought he was destroyed by the Demon Lords."

Duke raised his joust and fired a beam that would've made a hole through the hull of the ship. And unlike a human or digital monster, an inanimate object was incapable of believing that it could stand on water. So they were lucky that Gallantmon gained wings and quickly flew in to block the shot with his two crossed swords.

"I'll handle him!" Gallantmon called out. "You guys deal with Armageddemon!"

Jeri bit her lower lip, unsure of leaving her friends by themselves but also knowing that the others needed her assistance. After all, Korikakumon, Turuiemon, and Musyamon were already knocked back just from a single swing of the enemy's legs. She had to focus on the bigger battle.

"Good luck Takato, Guilmon," she whispered.

Through Armageddemon's eyes, it was like observing several flying and running pests attempt to knock him down. Apollomon and Marsmon were the biggest threats as they used their strong legs to hop around like kangaroos. But MagnaAngemon was the one he had a grudge against. The other dimension that the angel had temporarily sent him into had been unbearably boring. Then there was OmniShoutmon, another nuisance that needed to be swatted down. The rest weren't much of a problem.

Apollomon and Marsmon zipped in front of the monster, the former using his foot while the latter used his fist to slam into Armageddemon's head. Much to the surprise of the DigiDestined, the creature actually shifted his position upon impact. But it definitely wasn't going to be enough.

Armageddemon opened his mouth and energy began gathering in the crevice, somehow darkening the sky along with it. Korikakumon and GrapLeomon slammed their bodies into CaptainHookmon's vessel and shoved it out of the way just as their foe fired a beam that sent the ship shaking like a cocktail. As for everyone on board, they were about ready to jump overboard.

"When they make an opening, shoot the core inside his head," CaptainHookmon ordered, cocking his gun-sword for emphasis.

Shinya and Ai, holding the sniper rifles that Commandramon had equipped them with, felt the firearms shake in their unstable hands. To them, it was incredible how the other humans could guide the Digimon from File Island into the lower quarters and glare at the monster without quivering. It was more impressive when they thought back to the last time they had seen Armageddemon. Some of their strongest forces had been helpless back then.

"Compose yourselves," Commandramon said. Like a needle, it pierced into their thoughts and suddenly, they weren't quaking so much. "I'm scared too."

"You don't look it," Shinya remarked.

"NeoDevimon took out my entire squadron except me," the armed Rookie told them. "I get scared whenever I go into every battle now. But I know, that if I let that fear take over, I'll lose more people. I won't lose anyone else."

Ai nodded, understanding. "Impmon and Noir. I won't die until I see them both again!"

Shinya had those that he wanted to see again as well. Takuya and his parents being the first ones to come to mind of course. But there was more. He had his whole life ahead of him. He couldn't lose those years now. "This is my adventure… And I'm going to take the reins."

"So, you do have guts," Commandramon chuckled.

"Black Rain!"

A black firework against the blue sky sent energy shells raining down from above. Two golden bodies, OmniShoutmon and Eaglemon, worked together to detonate the missiles before they hit the ship. The ones down below could do nothing more than cover their heads as the explosions sounded from all directions.

"Taiki, fuse me and the Star Sword with OmniShoutmon!" Musyamon called out. "I'll lend him my sword fighting abilities."

Marsmon landed in front of the General. "I'd also like to request a Xros with Turuiemon. Combining our martial arts abilities would benefit us greatly."

"Hmph, an Olympian asking for my help?" said Turuiemon. "An honor."

Without the rules of the Hunt constricting Taiki's fusion freedom, he was able to fulfill both of their requests. OmniShoutmon gained the swordplay abilities of a samurai while Marsmon's punching technique became smoother and swifter. As a bonus, Apollomon and Eaglemon were fused together, giving the Sun God powerful wings to allow him to soar through the skies at great speeds.

"Victory Slash!"

"Endless Surge!"

"Phoenix Solblaster!"

From the left, a V-shaped slash. From the right, a flurry of a thousand punches, tipped with spikes from the fusion counterpart. And the most important, from the back, a warrior coated in a blinding ball of flame that took on the shape of a phoenix.

But Armageddemon didn't have to do much to protect himself. He stomped down on the ones on his sides with two of his six legs while he used his tail to smack down the fireball from behind. It was like he wasn't even being serious. Though, it's not like the other three were either.

"They've got him!" Kristy called out.

The three powerhouses latched onto the appendages that had assaulted them, trying to keep the colossus down in one place. That was when any available Digimon charged for the forehead with MagnaAngemon leading. Blades striking, bullets flying, and energy being expelled only to bounce off his hard head.

"Well, that did about as much damage as a mosquito could to a brick," Korikakumon grimaced.

Armageddemon let out a piercing shriek and with a rapid spin, he was able to whip off his three captors. The spin also generated a tidal wave that capsized the ship and enveloped everyone on the battlefield. Meramon dove back into the ship while Elecmon desperately tried to gather up the eggs that had fallen out.

"My gun!" Ai gasped.

"I dropped mine too," Shinya coughed.

The two of them were neck deep in seawater, trying to believe that they could stand on it would be a lot easier if they'd been to the Digital World once before. Though Kristy didn't seem to have a problem with it either. Everyone else seemed to have no trouble remembering the fact that the laws of physics didn't apply to this world. Commandramon helped them both back onto their feet.

"New plan, you two get away from here," the Rookie told them. "Don't look back."

"Don't be stupid," Shinya argued. "We're staying."

There wasn't much room to say any more as Armageddemon started running forward, letting out more shrieks with each step. His front legs stomped down on anyone and anything that dared cross his path and his fangs bit down on anyone that flew too close to his face.

"Stay back!" Korikakumon roared. "Frozen Arrowheads!"

The Legendary Warrior's dreadlocks weren't enough to keep the behemoth from moving. But it was able to keep his mouth open. If any point should be a weak spot, it would be from the inside out. And that was exactly where Shoutmon and MagnaAngemon were charging into with their blades raised high over their heads.

"Omni Fusion Blade!"

"Excalibur!"

With a wave of his front leg, Korikakumon was propelled high into the sky. And in the next second, he was firing a concentrated beam from his mouth, blasting the two that were inside before they could strike. But while these three had him distracted, three others were aiming for his back.

Marsmon, coated in flames rained down like a meteor. "Corona Sanctions!"

"Never underestimate the gods!" Apollomon roared as he joined his comrade in a fiery fury. "Pheonix Solblaster!"

Jeri slid a card through her D-Power. "Don't forget about us! Digi-Modify! Double Dose Activate!"

"Lion Beast Wave Slash!"

For the first time since this fight started, it looked like they actually did some damage as Armageddemon arced his back and screamed in pain. But the craters they created started sewing themselves up almost immediately. Before they could try another attack, the creature used his Black Rain attack once more, blowing the trio away.

"Not again!" Kristy groaned.

Jeri quickly took out another card. "Digi-Modify! Anti-Gravity Field Activate!"

From her digivice, a circular yellow field appeared suddenly causing everything inside to start floating a few feet above the water's surface. The energy shells also went skywards and exploded like black fireworks, shrouding the sky. And when the card's effect wore off, everything landed with a splash, sending more waves rocking.

"I've had enough of this!" Korikakumon huffed when he fell. Balling up his hands into fists, the ocean began freezing over, starting from the area that he was on. It soon spread until everyone was stuck to the sea itself, including Armageddemon. Manipulating the ice a bit, he was able to free his comrades while keeping the enemy frozen. "Attack now! Before you lose the chance!"

"At the head!" Koh ordered.

"Kaiser Arrow of Apollo!"

"Shogun Metal Vulcan!"

"Soul Vanisher!"

A combination attack of their strongest fighters' long-range attacks. Even their Digimon allies got in on the action by adding their own attacks into the blast.

"Leg Revolver!" "Lightning Blade!" "Hearts Attack!" "Aerial Attack!" "Solar Ray!" "Subzero Ice Punch!" "Magma Blast!"

Just before the hailstorm of fire, ice, bullets, bubbles, and light hit, Armageddemon freed his four front legs and lifted himself up, standing on his hind legs for just a moment. But it was enough to change the trajectory of the attacks as they hit his underbelly rather than his face. And just like with his back, his wounds started healing themselves one second later.

"This is getting ridiculous!" OmniShoutmon yelled.

"And I hate to say it, but I'm running out of energy," MagnaAngemon huffed. "I think our best course action is to retreat."

"We can't!" CaptainHookmon retorted. "There's no way we'd be able to get away from that thing fast enough! We're bound to lose someone if we try to run."

They were back to square one. The Digimon started flying and running around the monumental enemy as they tried to come up with a new plan, any kind of strategy. But it was hard to think when the monster was constantly firing laser beams from his gaping maw. Though they were at least able to turn his attention away from the turned over ship, where most of the humans and Digi-Eggs were.

Unimon landed on the water beside Commandramon and the two partnerless humans. Ai and Shinya, without even talking about it, were pushed onto the equestrian's back. Commandramon ordered Unimon to take them to safety but before the horse could take off, Shinya dismounted.

"What are you doing?!" Commandramon snapped. "It's too dangerous here for you."

"Right, because it's so much less so for a Rookie Digimon," Shinya scoffed. "You need to come with us. You can't do anything against that thing!"

Commandramon's back faced the boy and he refused to turn and look at him. "You're wrong… So long as I'm still standing, breathing, living, I can still put up a fight."

This was the most passion Shinya had ever heard from the soldier Digimon. Most of the time, he was being a strict teacher or yelling at him for lazing around. Even when he was talking about how he lost his squadron to the opposing army, he sounded practically emotionless. But wasn't that what war was supposed to do to soldiers? Harden them?

"Then so can I," said Shinya. "I'll fight too."

"No!" Commandramon shouted, finally pivoting on his heel to face the human. "You… still have your family waiting for you back home, right? And the Legendary Warrior cares about you too. I overheard him talking to his spirits, about how he couldn't afford to lose a friend like you. As for me, I… My best friends, my own brother, the person I loved… They're all gone because of the Demon Lords. I… have nothing else to lose."

Before Shinya could make another argument, Commandramon broke into a sprint. With Armageddemon's back turned, he couldn't see the approaching Rookie and with his focus on the bigger threats, he couldn't hear the footsteps he made when his feet hit the water's surface.

"Shinya, come back!" Ai shouted when the older human ran after the dragon.

Commandramon pointed his assault rifle at Armageddemon's back and opened fire. "M16 Assassin!"

Like pebbles thrown against a steel wall, it did nothing to Armageddemon. So why was he turning around? As the behemoth spun around, more waves were generated, throwing everyone still standing off balance. His tail whipped down those in the sky and shot them down. Once he completed his one-eighty, his eyes fell upon Commandramon who froze up.

A pest. "Destiny…" Commandramon couldn't move, he couldn't bring himself to turn around or jump to the side. "Destroyer!" All he could see was the beam of dark energy coming right towards him. And then, Shinya's arms closing around him and spinning him around just as everything went black.

"NO!" Korikakumon bellowed.

"Shinya!" Ai screamed.

The sky returned to its blue color and Shinya and Commandramon were nowhere to be found. The Chosen Children and their comrades were in shock but there wasn't any time to grieve as Armageddemon was still on the offensive. Korikakumon was the only Digimon that was unable to move, his eyes glued to the spot where his best friend had been just seconds ago.

"No… This can't be," he whispered, shaking his head.

Just then, from out of the water in front of him, a giant book surfaced. The Legendary Warrior blinked, unsure of what he was looking at when it opened to somewhere in the middle. And out popped Wisemon holding Shinya and Commandramon under each arm.

"Just in time," Taiki sighed in relief, falling to his butt.

Wisemon had been given a special mission from Taiki, to make sure that no matter what, Shinya and Ai were kept safe. If anything were to come charging at them, the book would slam over them, sending them into Wisemon's personal subspace where they would be safe from harm.

"Shinya!" Korikakumon gasped, picking up the boy into a hug. "God, you scared me back there!"

"Tommy!" the boy gasped out. "Can't… breathe…!"

"Oh, sorry."

Commandramon watched as Shinya fell back onto the pages of the book. "That was… really stupid you know. I thought you were scared."

"More scared of having you gone," Shinya replied once he caught his breath. "I don't think your loved ones would've appreciated seeing you so soon. Not to mention, you were probably more scared than I was with the way you were frozen back there."

The dragon puffed up his cheeks and turned his head. "Hm… Not really."

"It's not a bad thing to be scared," Shinya chuckled. "If you're afraid of dying, that means you're happy to be alive, right?"

Commandramon was surprised by this moment of profound wisdom from the boy. The two of them looked to each other, realizing just how happy they both were to be alive. But then the moment was ruined when Korikakumon started snickering.

"Stealing a line from Lloyd Irving to sound cool?"

"Hey, he doesn't need to know that!"

Commandramon sighed. "That makes more sense. But… thanks, Shinya. Really."

At that moment, a bright light appeared right above their heads and landed in Shinya's hands. It didn't come as a surprise to Korikakumon, though Shinya was absolutely elated when he saw the black D-Power with a red ring in the center. That would mean his partner is… Commandramon!

"Interesting," Wisemon mused. "So this is what they mean when they say the digivice is a physical representation of a bond between partners."

"So I'm really a DigiDestined!" Shinya cheered, jumping up and down. "A Tamer to boot! Good thing I brought my deck with me."

Korikakumon's head tilted upwards when he noticed the drop in temperature. Clouds had gathered over their heads while they were distracted with their fight with Armageddemon. And this entire time, they had believed that the darkening sky was because of the enemy's attacks. But instead of rain, snow began falling.

" _This is our domain now,_ " Kumamon's voice called out. " _Not to mention, it's Christmas! Do you guys think we can produce a Christmas miracle?_ "

Korikakumon's voice snorted. " _You can be such a kid. Though… It wouldn't be a bad idea to try_."

Tommy returned to his human form, standing beside his best human friend just as he found his digivolution card. He was going to have to work on pulling out cards as fast as the veteran Tamers. Together, the pair raised their digivices to the air.

"Digi-Modify! Digivolution Activate!"

"Commandramon Digivolve to... " The soldier felt like his skin was being torn off though not exactly in a painful manner, it was more like his current form was a cocoon and he was just coming out of his shell. Oddly enough, on the inside was solid, metallic armor. His snout became thinner and his tail became longer, whipping around behind him with enough force to break boulders. Blades popped out from his back and a knife appeared in his hands as he completed his transformation. "Sealsdramon!"

"Execute Fusion Evolution!" Tommy watched as his two spirits collided into each other and him, taking on a massive form that stood tall on the ice. He wasn't very intimidating considering how round he was and the deadpan expression on his face. Despite that, he didn't look like the type to be messed with considering he was about as large as MegaGargomon with two giant popsicles in each flipper just as big as he. "Daipenmon!"

 **Digital Analyzer** : It is said that one in every hundred Commandramon can evolve into Sealsdramon. These Digimon may only be at the Champion level but they are not to be trifled with. They can close long distances in short amounts of time and they are said to bring down their targets with only their hand-to-hand combat. Their specialty is assassination.

 **Digital Analyzer** : Daipenmon is worthy of being the reincarnation of the ancient Legendary Warrior of Ice with power over his element that transcends legend. Although his wings have degenerated, by flapping Kakikaki-kun (Lil' Freezy on his right) and Kochikochi-kun (Lil' Stiffy on his left), he seems to momentarily fly. There is no worry for having these popsicles melt as he can manufacture more instantaneously.

"He's huge!" Shinya blanched.

"Ah, Taiki has fought both of these Digimon before," Wisemon mentioned. "I suppose not every one of them can be part of the Bagra Army."

Sealsdramon crouched down as Shinya quickly used a Hyper Wing card. The assassin Digimon gained six glowing wings and then vanished into thin air. Though in reality, he just moved faster than the naked eye could perceive. He reappeared on Armageddemon's face and with a spin, he slammed his foot and his knife into the monster's eye, causing him to screech in pain.

"Scouter Monoeye," said Koh.

"Eh?" Taiki blinked, looking over to the other boy. "What does that mean?"

"Sealsdramon have a special cybernetic eye that allows them to scope out the vital points in their opponents," Koh explained. "If I were to make a guess, I'd say the Demon Lords reinforced Armageddemon's defenses from the last time you guys fought him. That makes his weak point, the eyes."

Daipenmon slid across the ice, which had become thicker and thicker with the appearance of his new form, at incredible speeds. He raised his two popsicles in the air and slamming them down on Armageddemon's back, recreating the arc from earlier. "Strawberry Death! Blue Hawaii Death!" It was almost like he was chopping vegetables with two knives as he slammed the behemoth over and over again, not allowing him to get back up.

"Ruthless," Kristy cringed.

"But he keeps regenerating," Jeri murmured. "What we need is a force strong enough to not only break open his face, but his core at the same time." The idea struck her immediately though she couldn't be sure it would work until they tried it. "Taiki, fuse together both Olympians and GrapLeomon!"

"The three strongest martial artists in one?" said Taiki. "Sounds like a plan! Digi-Xros!"

Even this much power wouldn't be enough. After all, they've tried strong combinations like this one before. But if Takato could use a modify card while inside the Xros, perhaps if Jeri used one to boost her own partner who was inside… "Digi-Modify! Formation Alpha: Release Restraint Activate!"

With Apollomon as the base, he combined forces with two other anthropomorphic wild cats, causing him to exude power like never before. Coating himself in flames, he rocketed for Armageddemon's head. "God Beast King Fist!" With a force that seemed to shake the entire ocean, the face cracked and shattered, revealing the core underneath.

"Now!" Koh called out.

"Everyone attack!"

"Victorize Banking!" "Kaiser Phoenix!" "Strawberry Death!" "Soul Vanisher!"

The final screech echoed through their ears as the giant disintegrated before their eyes, leaving nothing but an enormous silhouette of an egg and a fractal code. Daipenmon returned to his human form and with a flick of the wrist, the code was loaded into the D-Tector. Everyone was finally able to take a breather.

"Tommy, Commandramon, you two were awesome!" Shinya cheered, running over to the pair.

"Really?" said Tommy. His face was the same color as Kochikochi-kun. "I didn't look silly?"

"What are you talking about?" Shinya grinned. "Armageddemon, the Digimon that couldn't be beaten by several powerhouses was being knocked down by a single Legendary Warrior! Don't you think that sounds awesome?"

Well, when he puts it like that. "Well, out of all the ancients, AncientMegatheriumon had the most physical strength so it shouldn't be that surprising."

"Now, who's trying to look cool?"

After retrieving a resting Biyomon, Kristy walked over to Jeri's side. The other brunette and the quadrupedal lion were both tired out. "Are you okay?" Kristy asked. "After what happened during our last fight…"

"Momentai. I'm just peachy," Jeri smiled, grateful for her schoolmate's concern. "GrapLeomon didn't get hurt so much as fatigued." Her smile fell as she looked over her shoulder. "The boat was rocked far away from its original course though. Do you think Takato's okay?"

"Knowing him, he should be fine," said Taiki. "But we should go and check."

Koh nodded in agreement. "We'll go as soon as we finish fishing up all the eggs."

They watched Elecmon slide across the ice on his belly after he had slipped. "The babies!"

 **December 25: ? - 1:20 PM**

Ryo and Suzie no longer knew what was happening anymore. They had expected pain, suffering, and torture, not first-class service and fine dining. They were even put into aristocratic suits and dresses in a golden, glittering room filled with the aromas of delicacies from all over the Earth.

At the head of the long dining table sat Lucemon, twirling a glass filled with sparkling wine and along the sides were the rest of the Demon Lords. Well, almost all them. Leviamon and Belphemon were obviously too big to fit in here so who knows where they were having lunch. And Impmon was sitting in between the captive Tamers, fancily dressed (a bowtie instead of his bandana) and served steamed lobster.

"This is weird, right?" Suzie whispered.

Ryo nodded. "Extremely."

"What, did you think we ate like barbarians?" Laylamon chuckled. "Darlings, only the big brutes are like that."

There was one thing that didn't seem to fit with this setting of pristine pillars, beautifully designed walls, and the crystal chandelier. And that was the holographic projection on the far wall, perfectly in place with Lucemon's line of vision. On screen was the battle that was occurring on top of the waters of Miracle Sea.

"If you know where they are, why don't you attack yourselves?" Impmon scoffed.

"It's more amusing this way," Lucemon chuckled. "More importantly, we cannot leave this place just yet. Not until those pesky Sovereigns are gone."

Suzie suddenly shot out of her seat, slamming her palms into the table and causing the fancy china to clatter around. "I've had enough of this! Where are our partners?! What's up with this whole setup?! What are you plotting?!"

Barbamon stroked his long beard as he picked up his bowl of soup, bringing it to his lips. "Oh? Someone's impatient."

"Just kick the bucket already, old man," Impmon spat.

"Is that how you refer to your elders on Earth?" Barbamon harrumphed.

At that moment, the doors swung open and surprisingly, it was a human that stepped into the dining room. Though it was not a face that Ryo, Suzie, or Impmon were happy to see. In the few days they had been held captive here, this was the first time they had seen Masamune Kurosaki. Not since the last Armageddemon appearance.

"I see you're all still eating lunch," Kurosaki muttered, his nose wrinkling in disdain.

This was actually the very first time Suzie had ever seen this person but she did know that he was the one who had wanted her older brother murdered. "You...!" Just then, her vision went hazy and her stomach felt empty. As if she hadn't been filling it with delicious food, breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the last few days. "What's… going on?"

"There's a reason why I don't eat any of that stuff," said Kurosaki.

Suzie turned to look to her friends but Ryo was suddenly gobbling down on his lobster, shell and all. And Impmon was no longer in his Rookie form though he was not Boogeymon or Beelzemon either. It was Devimon that sat next to her, eating as much as he possibly could.

"What did you do to us?" Suzie venomously growled, glaring at the Demon Lords.

"Do you know what sin Beelzemon represents?" Lucemon asked, taking a sip of his wine. The trio were incapable of answering as their mouths were stuffed. "Gluttony. This food is laced with negative emotions made from the denizens of your world. Doesn't change the flavor, but does change what it does to your bodies. Haven't you noticed that you've been getting crankier, more homesick? The effects of eating this."

Kurosaki walked over to Lucemon's side. "As for the reason why you can't stop eating… Just being near Devimon is enough to give you insatiable hunger."

Suzie didn't know how long it went on. It felt like years had passed when they finally stopped eating because they simply couldn't take it anymore. There were still crumbs from the apple pie falling out of their mouths as their chins hit the tabletop. They were exhausted, no matter how hard they tried, they could not keep their eyes open.

"Sleep well, little lambs," Laylamon giggled.

Daemon turned to address Kurosaki. "Well? Have you found them?"

"Of course I have," Kurosaki answered curtly. "What do you take me for?" He snapped his fingers and the doors opened again, with two Voidlings creeping in. They each dragged a coffin behind them, causing it to make an unpleasant scraping noise against the linoleum. "They're in there. But just so you know, I'm not getting involved with what comes next."

"We don't expect you to," Barbamon snorted.

"Let us do the rest," Daemon stated darkly. "Soon, the Akumako will be complete and Beelzemon will once again join our ranks."

 **December 25: Miracle Sea - 1:20 PM**

Gallantmon watched as the vessel they were on just moments ago drifted away along with the moving mountain that was Armageddemon. Hopefully the others would be able to take him on without the winged paladin. For now, he had to focus on fighting Duke. Well, that was the worst-case scenario at least.

"Duke, why do you do this?" Gallantmon inquired. "You're a Royal Knight!"

"Precisely! I am, and you are not!" Duke stated.

"Is this a case of jealousy?" Gallantmon murmured to himself.

Duke seemed to be eyeing the incandescent wings on the other knight which made sense. After all, Duke probably couldn't access Crimson Mode like his opponent since Grani was created by the Monster Makers. But he didn't seem like he would back down just because Gallantmon had another mode.

"I had heard from my master that there was an impostor running around and wreaking havoc in the Digital World," explained Duke. "That impostor is none other than a human boy and a toddler Digimon. I will put an end to your mischief!"

"Mischief?!" Gallantmon blanched.

" _The Demon Lords must be tricking him with these lies,_ " said Guilmon.

Takato nodded. " _Yeah, you're right. We have to make him see the truth!_ "

Gallantmon's swords disappeared, leaving behind twinkles as he took a few steps forward. "Duke, I can promise you that I am not evil. Please, open your eyes and realize that you are being manipulated by the Demon Lords! They are the true evil."

"The Demon Lords have been sealed away for a long while now," Duke replied. "If you're going to lie, make up a believable one. And if you think I can't win just because of your red armor, then allow me to show you a trick."

"A trick?"

Duke splayed out his palm and raised it high over his head, summoning a magic circle. It lowered itself onto the Royal Knight, slowly changing his appearance from top to bottom. When it got past his shoulders to reveal the shining red-plated armor, Gallantmon was almost afraid that he had somehow entered Crimson mode. But then his transformation was completed and his lower armor was shining silver and instead of wings, there was a glittering scarlet cape with a gold hem.

"MedievalGallantmon!" Duke bellowed in his new form.

 **Digital Analyzer** : MedievalGallantmon is a warrior Digimon and a carrier of the X-Antibody. He is praised as a Legendary Hero in the hidden land of Witchelny, having driven off foreign invaders from there once before. In battle, he is equipped with armor made from the greatest sorcery and the mightiest magical lance, Dynas, which conceals the power of a Wyvern. Though none have seen this legendary Digimon in the Digital World, there are many myths surrounding him, thus dubbing him "Warrior of Fantasy."

"Unbelievable," Gallantmon gaped.

"Coated in this suit of arms and armed with Dynas," Duke stated. "I sealed the Demon Lord of Gluttony on my own. You are the second to ever witness it."

Gallantmon was about to say something when Duke shot forward. The red knight immediately flew upwards as Duke made his slash. They didn't have to look back to see the tidal wave that had been generated behind them. If it hit land, everything would be eroded away into sand.

" _Takato! We have to fight!_ " Guilmon shouted.

As much as the Tamer didn't want to, he knew his partner was right. " _Digi-Modify! Hyper Speed Activate!_ "

Gallantmon flew back down at breakneck speed, swinging his two swords in front of him with the skill of a pro. But Duke didn't budge from his spot. With one armored hand, he was able to maneuver Dynas in a way that parried every single one of his opponent's blows. Then, with his free hand, he slammed a punch into Gallantmon's gut and then tossed back onto the water where he skipped like a stone.

"So this is how much power it would take to combat a Demon Lord?" Gallantmon huffed.

Duke pointed his lance at Gallantmon. "There is more where that came from. Rage of Wyvern!"

Dynas began shooting out magical bullets from the tip. Gallantmon quickly leapt to the side, tucking and rolling as he heard the bullets hit the water, causing explosive geysers in their wake. As soon as the angelic paladin landed on his feet, he shot forward once more.

"I won't lose!" Gallantmon roared. "Invincible Sword!"

Duke swung his own blade in a very similar arc. "Final Crest!" Though it seemed like he had more power as Gallantmon was easily blown away. "Hmph… I probably could've beaten you in my previous form if this is all the strength you possess. You don't even have a right to be my phony."

Gallantmon skidded across the water and when he came to a stop, Duke noticed that something seemed different about his winged foe. The scratches on his armor mended themselves and he stood as tall and firm as he did in the beginning in the battle. It was as if he hadn't expended any energy at all.

"I'm glad," Gallantmon breathed.

Duke frowned, unable to understand the relief in the other knight's face. "For what, knave?"

"If this is all the power it takes to fight a Demon Lord, then we'll definitely win," Gallantmon explained. "I can surpass your power."

"What?!" Duke scowled. He jabbed his lance at Gallantmon. "You dare to mock me, you cur?! A phony?!"

Gallantmon put up his hands to show that he didn't mean to word it in such a way. "No, I didn't intend to make it sound like that. It's just that… half of me is a Tamer. And that half has the power to make this form exceed boundaries. And that half has also received lots of special training from a certain king and queen. As well as a gift from a future programmer."

 _At the park, Rika and Ryo sat all the Tamers down around Guilmon's shed for a special training session. This didn't have anything to do with making themselves stronger or faster. It didn't even have to do with their Digimon partners. All they needed was their Digimon decks in front of them and a few new packs of cards._

" _Don't be so quick to attack," Rika scolded Kazu, hitting him on the head with a rolled up newspaper. "You need to assess your opponent first!"_

 _Kazu flopped down into the grass, nearly destroying the game he was playing against Jeri. "But that's so boring!"_

 _Takato was playing a game against Henry since they were nearly at the same skill level. Well, that was what their card game instructors said but the brunet couldn't seem to beat his opponent at all. Every single move he made was easily countered and at some points, he was prevented from attacking at all. It was like trying to move Mount Fuji._

" _Are you guys sure I can beat Henry?" Takato huffed. "I've lost five times in a row already."_

 _Ryo knelt down beside the younger boy. "You've become a lot better than the 'Hyper Wing is my trump card' kid from five years ago. But your tactics are still too simplistic and straightforward. You've got a lot of shield, stalling, and healing cards in your hand, try to make your opponent reveal as much as they can before going at him."_

 _Takato glanced over at Kazu and Rika, the pair were bickering over which was a better tactic. Striking down the general or observing the army first. "What if I'm fighting someone really strong, like the Demon Lords?" he asked. "Guilmon and I might not have the time or luxury. We're not as skilled as you guys."_

 _Even though Henry wasn't one of the instructors, he decided to put in his own thoughts. "Try calming down a bit. Not every situation presses you for time."_

" _Exactly," Ryo said. "And even if they do, Doppelganger and New Coat of Arms are great cards to stall. The first for distraction and the second for immediate rejuvenation. Don't save them for later. Use them to bring you closer to victory."_

" _There is something else," Henry added, pulling out nine cards from his back pocket. "These are brand new, designed to be compatible with only our partners, since there are nine of them in total. Here Takato, this one is for you. Just be careful, the repercussions are supposedly awful. So only use them when fighting a truly strong opponent."_

"I don't understand," Duke stated. "How did you heal so fast?"

Gallantmon raised his hand and a card appeared in it. "The Nine Cosmic Cards, used only for emergency situations and are only compatible with us. This one is Earth Life, a card that will bring me in tune with all of nature and heal me instantly. One use per battle, like any other card, but don't think that I was the same as I was few seconds ago."

"Don't get cocky!" Duke scoffed, aiming his lance once more. "Rage of Wyvern!"

Earth Life didn't just heal but it also heightened every one of Gallantmon's senses. He could see the bullets coming towards him as if they were in slow-motion, hear the wind whistle as they flew, and even feel the slight change in pressure from a few miles away. It was snowing somewhere. If things went well, this battle would be finished before the snow reached them.

His two swords flashed in front of him, deflecting every single bullet with ease. "Like I said, I'm not the same. Royal Saber!"

Duke avoided the bolt of lightning that struck down with a tumble. As soon as he was upright again, he charged forward, swinging his lance. "Final Crest!"

Gallantmon blocked the magical weapon with one of his own and then used the other to slash his foe's armor. Then with a turn, he was able to slam a back kick into Duke's stomach sending him backwards. As a final attack, he shrouded himself in a bright red light and expanded it outwards.

"Crimson Light!"

When it was no longer too bright to see, Gallantmon saw that Duke had protected himself by using his cape as a shield. One would think that such a thing would be too flimsy to be effective as protection but since it was forged by magic, there was no telling what it was capable of. Had Gallantmon seen what had happened, he'd have known that the cape became a barrier made out of wind, practically a hurricane, that bent the Crimson Light attack around him.

"Impressive," said Duke. "I suppose this means I can get serious as well."

" _You mean he hasn't been?_ " Guilmon blinked.

Once again, Duke raised his splayed out hand towards the sky but instead of a magic circle, a cross appeared over his head. Gallantmon frowned, not quite comprehending before it clicked that it was actually an X. A bit too late as it closed around the knight and then burst into little flecks of light, revealing another new form of the Royal Knight.

This shape was most similar to the original though his armor was certainly sleeker and reflected light like fresh snow. His blade was made out of pure energy while shield also seemed to gain some improvements in terms of design and functionality. This exalted knight exuded much more power than MedievalGallantmon had which was quite a feat considering how powerful the magical paladin had been.

"Gallantmon X!" Duke bellowed.

Gallantmon adjusted his stance. "So this is when the real fight starts."

-X-

 **Armageddemon was defeated and Tommy even found his fusion form while Shinya found his partner! But not all's good. What is happening with the Demon Lords and their captives? Will Ryo and Suzie really become Akumako? And which Gallantmon will win this battle of the knights? And just how many forms can they possibly have? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **I do hope this chapter has been adequate enough. I feel like fight scenes have been slipping through my grasps lately. Maybe I'm imagining it. Anyway, to the reviewer who asked about what was happening with Tai and Matt, you'll find out soon. Hope you all enjoyed and please leave a review. Getting kind of tired of feeling desperate. Until next time!**


	20. Take Care of Things

**Zero Unit:** I realize I was being childish. So with the new school year in full swing, I want to show a bit more maturity. Thus, I will return to the original intention of these fourth wall breaks! Having the cast answer questions. So here's one, "Do you have any good anime, manga, or cartoon recommendations?"

 **Davis** : _Osomatsu-san_! It's super popular in Japan and outrageously hilarious!

 **Jeri** : Oh, the five oldest siblings in that show all have parts in my favorite anime, _Shirokuma Café_! It's so cute! It's all about the daily lives of these animals that coexist with humans. Hiroshi Kamiya happens to play this really silly penguin.

 **Keenan** : I think I prefer watching Kamiya making a fool of himself in _Noragami_. Season two was incredible and Yato can be pretty ridiculous.

 **Kouichi** : I like his role as Orihara Izaya in _Durarara!_ which is highly suspenseful and full of drama. The specials happen to be really funny.

 **Akari** : Oh, that reminds me! Jun Fukuyama who plays Ichimatsu, Panda, and Kishitani Shinra also plays Koro-sensei in _Assassination Classroom_. The anime is great and certain scenes are several times more impactful animated but it also happens to leave out a couple of important things from the manga so I highly recommend reading it. For example, Takebayashi's development is in there.

 **Rika** : I love that scene where Takebayashi totally tells off those main building jerks. It is so satisfying.

 **Mimi** : We're forgetting cartoons. I highly recommend _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ because it's got a lot of heart and there are some seriously awesome characters.

 **Thomas** : I happen to like _Gravity Falls_. It's a great mystery with some amusing moments.

 **Takuya** : Oh, hey, what about _The Amazing World of Gumball_? I gave it a chance recently and it totally blew away my expectations. Every character gets a role to play and even if they don't, they're given one later on in the series. Not to mention, Penny is like the coolest character. There are also some pretty funny innuendos here and there.

 **Yoshino** : Speaking of Cartoon Network, what about _We Bare_ … _Bears_ … Zero, are you crying?

 **Zero Unit** : *Blubbering* I forgot that you guys are technically a figment of my imagination so anything you guys recommend is something I've already seen. Now I don't have anything new to check out at all. Life really sucks sometimes.

 **Everyone** : You were asking for yourself?!

 **Shoutmon** : Please enjoy today's chapter.

-X-

 **December 25: Miracle Sea – 1:23 PM**

Apollomon stopped so suddenly that he almost threw Koh off of his shoulder. Marsmon actually did throw Taiki off his own when he bumped into his fellow god. The General was thankfully caught by the Tamer who pulled him up. The group of four, now stable, looked back to the scene that was unfolding before them, of two knights clashing, sword against shield against sword.

"What is with this pressure?" Taiki muttered.

"It's being created by the force of their attacks," said Koh. "It's intense."

Shoutmon hopped out of the X-Loader where he was supposed to be healing. "We should help them."

Apollomon held up a hand, stopping the Digimon king from jumping down and into the fray. "This is their fight. Besides, that fusion with everyone still has me feeling weak. That much power drains so much of my energy and we were together for less than a minute."

"It felt like I was going to explode," Marsmon agreed.

Taiki thought back to Kuroku's words from four days ago. After the various Digital Worlds converged into one, Digimon were recalibrated. Fusions were no longer as simple as they once were seeing as the stronger they were, the more energy needed to be expended in order to maintain that form. If not, it could break down in just seconds. Shoutmon and the other Hunters' main partners were used to it, they could keep going for hours, but others were not. So they couldn't just use any Xros just because it seems strong. It was too much of a risk. This time was an exception.

"Koh," Apollomon huffed. "Get off."

"Eh?" his partner blinked.

The Sun God instantaneously shrunk down to the same size as Shoutmon, causing himself and his three riders to plummet towards the water. Thankfully, Marsmon caught them before they made their big splash. It was still a big scare though.

"What was that all about?!" Shoutmon snapped.

"Coronamon's just tired," Koh explained. "For now, let's just watch the Gallantmon fight."

Gallantmon used his shining wings to circle around Duke at top speed, using his two blades to cut and slice. Unfortunately for him, Duke was perceptive, parrying blows with his own blade or blocking them completely with his shield. At some point, the Royal Knight even used his weapons to pull down his airborne foe and then slam a foot into his chest.

"I won't lose that easily." Gallantmon landed on his feet as soon as he was stable, he crossed his blades, when he pulled them apart; several beams of light were fired towards his target.

Duke raised his shield and blocked all the beams easily. "You cannot so easily pierce my supreme sacred armor, lance, and shield. This legendary equipment will push you to your downfall!" Energy began to gather at the center of Aegis, his shield. "Final Elysion!" The pressure suggested that it had at least ten times the power of Shield of the Just.

"Crimson Light!" Both attacks cancelled each other out but not before creating a tower of light when they connected, causing the sea to rumble underneath them. "Unbelievable, so this is the power of the most versatile Royal Knight. Magic, swordplay, power, defense, acrobatics, martial arts, flight, speed, it's hard to believe anyone could defeat him."

"My power is enough to defeat even a god," said Duke.

Shoutmon glanced up at Marsmon. "Is that true?"

"Out of all the Royal Knights, there are few that can match us," Marsmon stated. "Duke is, in fact, one of them. Probably not the Three Kings but Apollomon and I would have more than enough trouble dealing with Duke."

"The Three Kings?" Taiki repeated though there was no time for answer when a flash of lightning brought their attention back to the battlefield.

"Royal Saber!"

Marsmon actually skidded a few feet back from the force of their attacks. "I can barely open my eyes!"

Gallantmon knew that he could easily gain the upper hand if he used more cards but unfortunately, Henry had mentioned other drawbacks of using a Cosmic Card. For one thing, while the card is in play, one mustn't modify their monster any further lest they overload their internal system. Furthermore, if you don't defeat the enemy within the time limit of the card, you'd be forced to return to your base forms.

"Less than three minutes left," Gallantmon huffed. "We can't waste time! Invincible Sword!"

Duke elongated his lance and swung it towards his oncoming opponent. "Sieg Sword!" Gallantmon, being several feet away, could do nothing more than parry with his own weapons. "Don't forget about my shield! Final Elysion!"

Gallantmon's eyes widened as he watched the flash of energy rocket towards him. Quickly, he flew upwards just before the attack struck him. "We can't let up. Royal Saber!"

Duke shrouded himself in his mantle and jumped right through the lightning bolt. Once he was through, he performed a midair somersault in an attempt to do an axe kick right on Gallantmon's skull. But the winged knight was one step ahead as he flew to the side, narrowly avoiding it.

But as Duke fell back towards the water's surface, he pointed Gram, his lance, upwards. The energy blade extended and cut into one of Gallantmon's wings, causing him to lose control and fall as well. As they entered a downward spiral, the pair began swinging their blades, generating waves of light in an attempt to strike the other down but each attack was countered by another until they both landed on the water's surface with grace.

"Two minutes," Gallantmon huffed. "Invincible Sword!"

Duke blocked the blade with his shield and then went on to thrust his sword into the other knight's stomach. But Gallantmon blocked it with his second sword. The pair was at a standstill, glaring each other down. They even tried to bash their skulls into each other but that did nothing more than create an obnoxious metallic sound as well as create powerful shockwaves.

"This is insane," said Shoutmon.

"We need to help him," Taiki resolved. "He can't win on his own."

Koh placed a hand on the other boy's shoulder. "If he needed it, he would've called for it. There's no way he didn't notice us standing here. Let's just trust him."

This stalemate seemed to be going nowhere. Well, that is, until a cracking sound echoed through the air. Duke's eyes were as wide as saucers when he saw a chip fall from his shield and sink down into the sea. And that moment of shock was the opening that Gallantmon needed.

With the spin, Gallantmon kicked Duke in the stomach, sending him flying. Then crossing his blades once more, he shrouded himself in a bright red glow. "Crimson Light!" It expanded outwards, enveloping the area. Marsmon was forced to jump backwards a couple of times to avoid the blast himself.

When the light faded away, Gallantmon saw that his foe had returned to his original form. The Royal Knight was on his back, motionless. The battle was over.

"My sacred shield broke…," Duke huffed. "How?"

Gallantmon hadn't wanted to defeat this Digimon but he didn't have much of a choice. The least he could do was show his respect by kneeling down before him. "You are the superior knight, I am aware of this. Had it not been for my cards, you'd have overwhelmed me easily. If I want to protect this world, I must become stronger. You have shown me this. This time, it was only because of Earth Life, that I heard the magic in the gem of your shield cry for help. Showing me its weak spot. That was all."

Duke's data was starting to disappear. "Protect this world… huh. You know, when we traded blows, I came to the realization that you were telling the truth. But I refused to believe that I had truly fallen at the hands of the Demon Lords. Now that it's come to this, I must ask you a favor."

"What is it?"

At this point, Duke was only a torso, an arm, and a head left. Using his one hand, he reached inside his chest and pulled out two glowing orbs. "Take my place as a Royal Knight."

"What?!" Gallantmon blanched. "I can't do that!"

Duke chuckled. "You have time to think about it." He then became solemn. "There is also something I must confess. Beelzemon had nearly killed me all those years ago. The only reason I came out victorious was because I had one hundred magicians help me seal away his powers. So do not underestimate the Demon Lords. I give you these two to help you."

Gallantmon held out his armored hands as the orbs floated onto his palms. He knew what they were. One held a massive amount of magic power while the other contained the X-Antibody. With that, Duke's data had completely disappeared, with his last wishes still ringing in their ears.

"We never introduced ourselves!" Gallantmon called as the data floated upwards. "We're Takato and Guilmon! And we'll take care of these! And we will beat the Demon Lords! We promise."

Time was up. The Cosmic Card should've lost its effect by now. When the bio-merged Digimon split back to their original parts, the two orbs changed shapes, into new cards. One was called the Medieval Magic card while the other was called the X-Antibody card.

Before Takato could marvel at this, there was a sudden sharp pain in his heart, expanding outwards to overtake the rest of his body. There were needles piercing through his skin from the inside, spiders crawling just below the surface, and knife-like nails trying to claw their way out of his head and stomach. He could do nothing more than to double over in pain.

"Ta… ka… to…," Guilmon groaned, reverting to Gigimon and collapsing.

"Guilmon..." Takato's hand was clutching at his shirt as pain shot through every part of his body, making it hard to stay focused and awake. "It hurts… What's wrong… with me? Don't tell me… these are… the repercussions… of using Earth Life?"

"Takato!" someone called out. It sounded far away.

The Tamer's head was submerged into water but luckily, Taiki and Koh were there to pull him out before he drowned in his unconscious state. Shoutmon was holding up a sleeping Gigimon. Both of them were shaking uncontrollably, like they were stuck inside a terrible nightmare. But it didn't even look like Duke had done that much damage to them, so what happened? Maybe Jeri knew something.

As if on cue, a pirate ship appeared in the distance. The people on board waved to them and Marsmon picked them back up, carrying them towards the vessel. They still had a long way to go before reaching the Kingdom Town.

 **December 25: Matsuki Bakery – 1:23 PM**

Christmas was supposed to be the busiest time of the year for the bakery but there actually weren't that many customers coming around. Word had gotten out that the family that ran the shop had been harboring a red dinosaur just one floor above them so people were frightened. So now, there were several prepared and packaged cakes sitting in the back with no place to go.

"Another one!" Takehiro groaned.

Tai peeked inside the kitchen to find Takato's father on the floor, gripping the wrist of his left hand. Did he burn it? Well, either way, he certainly burned the bread that had been in the oven because the whole place was starting to smell charred and smoky. Yoshie quickly opened the back door to air things out.

"They must be worried about Takato," Agumon remarked.

"Yeah," Tai nodded. There was no point in hiding the Digimon anymore so his partner was just out handing boxes of cakes to the few customers that did come. Loyal patrons and people involved with Digimon that weren't afraid of a fire-breathing, bipedal lizard giving them dessert. "Thank you for your purchase, please come again."

"Can I eat one, Tai?" Agumon asked.

"When we're on break," the brunet sighed.

Tai, like his fellow DigiDestined, were worried about the kids too but the parents were taking it worst of all. Looking back inside, he could see that Takehiro was no longer tending to his burn but rather, he had pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his head in it. The teenager had never seen such a distraught adult before.

"Honey, it's okay," Yoshie told him softly. "Takato will be fine, he has Guilmon."

Takehiro looked up and placed a hand on his wife's face, using his thumb to wipe away tears from her face. "You're just as upset as I am. Let's not pretend."

Tai had to wonder if his own parents behaved like that while he wasn't around. He knew that his mom hadn't been cooking because she's worried about Kari. And his father took the day off yesterday just to lie on the couch and stare at the ceiling. This is the first time they were aware that their own daughter had gone to a dangerous dimension for days without word, after all.

Just then, the door opened and three familiar faces entered. Tai couldn't help smiling a little when he saw them, Matt, Sora, and Joe. They had promised to come visit him during Christmas so that they could spend some time together.

"It's starting to snow outside," said Sora.

"To think that they'd end up missing a white Christmas," Matt chuckled humorlessly.

Joe couldn't help thinking that it was the anniversary of their world tour, when they made several international friends. But even _they_ weren't in the mood to celebrate the holidays as they were working hard to quell public outrage towards Digital World invaders. How could such a joyous time of the year be overshadowed by the recent tragedies?

"So much has happened, huh," the med student sighed. "Four years ago, we were in different countries protecting the world but felt like we were together. Today, we're all in the same city yet it feels like we've completely fallen apart."

"We'll get through this." Sora took their hands in hers and they couldn't help feeling warm. "No matter how scared of the Demon Lords we are, we'll make it. Together."

"Sora, you're shaking," Matt realized.

"Sorry," the redhead murmured, momentarily letting go. "I have to admit… I'm really, really scared of the Demon Lords."

Agumon looked down. "Honestly, so am I."

"Me too," Gomamon added from his partner's digivice.

They were all frightened, whether it was for the friends they couldn't visit right away or for themselves simply because of the threat that the Demon Lords presented. But they could also agree that they were more scared of losing the worlds they called home. They had each other too. So they couldn't say they were alone in this.

"Next year, we'll have a big Christmas party with everyone together," said Tai. "By then, everyone will be able to smile as wide as their faces will let them."

"You sound like your sister," Matt chuckled.

Tai grinned. "That is like the biggest compliment anyone can give me."

 **December 25: Underground Tunnels – 1:23 PM**

For the last few days, the group's been following Cherrymon through the tunnel system underneath the desert. Every so often, they would stumble upon a wide open area where they would take a moment to rest and have a small meal. They had to conserve their provisions so it couldn't be anything grand.

"Data dispersal?" Kouji repeated.

Kenta nodded. "Apparently, Leviamon destroyed Neptunemon several years ago but because he was a god, he didn't disappear completely. As long as Digimon believed in him, he would continue to be reborn. But something went wrong and his data was dispersed, accidentally creating MarineAngemon while the rest drifted through cyberspace. Somehow, some of that data found me when I was born. That's how I'm able to understand my partner and why he was drawn to me immediately."

The Legendary Warrior rubbed his chin as he let this sink into his mind. "So… In a way, you're part Digimon?"

"I guess," said the Tamer. His hand went to his chest, gently touching MarineAngemon in his shirt pocket. "But it feels like we're incomplete. We're still missing some of our data."

It sounded kind of complicated. Kouji had been curious because whenever he would become a Digimon, there were these faint memories floating around in his head that weren't exactly his. They seemed to be from a long time ago, back during the olden ages of the Digital World so he always assumed that they were the memories of AncientGarurumon. So he wondered if it was the same for Kenta when he became Neptunemon. It appeared to be the case.

"So what happens when you are complete?" Kouji asked.

"I don't know," Kenta shrugged. "But I assume it would make it easier to stay in that form and maybe I'd even be a little stronger. After all, we have to make up for losing a member."

True, without Ryo, the group was a little weaker than they were before. But Kouji was confident that they would be able to get through this with a little extra effort. They didn't come here to lose people; they were here to save them.

At the back of the group, Kari was trying to keep her eyes open as she walked. At some point, she started tilting and Gatomon stopped moving, about to shout out her partner's name when someone caught her before she hit the ground. JP slowly lifted her up so that the smaller figure was leaning into his chest.

"Are you okay?" the older teen asked. He pressed the back of his hand to her forehead. "No fever. You had nightmares again? You should've woken me."

The brunette looked down towards a worried Gatomon. "I didn't want to disturb you. Just because I haven't had a good night's sleep in a while doesn't mean you have to do the same."

"Kari…," said Gatomon. "Should we stop so you can rest?"

The girl shook her head. "I don't want to slow down the group. The sooner we get to the Kingdom Town, the better." She vigorously rubbed at her eyes and when she stopped, she saw that JP was in front of her, lowering himself so that they were about the same height. "JP?"

"Get on my back," he told her. "I can carry you and you can take a nap."

Kari was surprised by this kind gesture. Gatomon would make an offer to carry her partner as Nefertimon but since they had to share energy in order for her to evolve, Kari might need to be awake and aware in order to do that. Well, they weren't sure about this theory since they never tried to evolve a Digimon and then fall asleep but Izzy said that's how it theoretically works between partners.

"I don't want to burden you," Kari blushed.

JP laughed at the prospect. "In a judo match, I once lifted my one-hundred twenty kilogram opponent over my shoulder. You're not a burden at all."

When Kari relented and got onto the older teen's back, Gatomon thanked him for taking care of her partner. The girl rested her arms over JP's broad shoulders, pressing her body into his solid but comforting back. Once she got used to the feeling, she was out like a light, breathing softly.

"Just make sure your hands stay on her legs only," Gatomon warned. "If I see then touching her rear, I'll be sure to gouge your eyes out!"

"Graphic," JP murmured.

Ahead of them were the remaining three. Davis was walking in between Rika and Nene, the former silently fuming while the other staggering to keep her balance. It was nerve-wracking to be sandwiched between these moody girls. One was blaming herself for what had happened with Ryo while the other wasn't over the death of one of her partners and the sudden disappearance of another. But remaining mute for too long was not good for the hotheaded Chosen Child.

"Hey, Rika," Davis broached. The Tamer acknowledged him with a glance. "You okay?"

The redhead uncrossed her arms. "Not really, but this isn't really the time to talk about feelings."

"Oh, no, of course not, I was just, um, well, you see."

Veemon shook his head at the way his partner was stumbling over his words. He couldn't imagine it being easy to talk to Rika in the first place, though. Since day one, she's been detached from everyone else. She preferred to spend time with fellow Tamers and her classmates. And her partner might actually be worse! Renamon was just walking forward with her striking blue eyes staring into the distance.

"You're staring at me," remarked the bipedal vixen, still looking only in front.

"E-Eh?!" Veemon blinked. "Oh, well, I didn't mean to." He scratched the back of his head nervously. "I was just wondering, how come you and your partner act so antisocially?"

Davis glared down at the blue dragon. "Veemon!" he hissed. "You can't just ask something like that!"

Despite that, Renamon actually looked down towards the smaller Rookie. "We don't mean to be. We are just people who prefer to be by ourselves. I'm sorry if we come off as cold and off-putting, that was not our intention."

"Yeah," Rika sighed. "Sorry Davis, I just have a lot on my mind."

The brunet nodded, understanding. "You know, it's better not to bottle up your feelings. I'm right here if you need to talk."

Rika couldn't help thinking back to when Ryo had said something similar to her on the day her sister came back into her life. Without even realizing, tears sprang into her eyes and Davis immediately panicked, wondering if he had done something horribly wrong. But Rika wiped them away and calmed him down.

"I'm fine," she sighed. "I just wish I could've talked to that idiot more." Maybe her cold disposition wasn't a very good mindset to have. "Davis, tonight, could you take first watch with me? I'd like to talk to you about some of the things on my mind. I want to make sure my friends know to trust me so I can trust them completely."

Davis wasn't sure where this was coming from but he smiled from ear to ear when she said it. "Of course!" He then turned to look at the other girl. "Now how do I get her to talk?"

Without a word, Rika glided over to Nene and gently squeezed her shoulder to let the General know that she was there. When the idol turned her head, she was greeted by a soft smile. "Mervamon said she will come back for you. So, stay strong until then. You want her to give you a big smile when she sees you again, right?"

Nene sniffed, a small smile gracing her pretty features. "Yeah, you're right. Thank you, Rika."

Davis and Veemon found their jaws hanging as the two girls hugged each other. They then turned to the taller figure beside them to see if she had an explanation for this. Renamon had a bemused smirk when she saw the dumbstruck expressions on theirs.

"This may surprise you, but Rika is a lot more motherly than the other Tamers," said Renamon. "Even Jeri ends up getting taken care of in a parental manner by my partner."

"Seriously?" Davis blinked. He looked back to the girls as they walked arm in arm. "Huh, I guess there really is a lot I don't know about her."

The group continued on in this fashion for a while. Snippets of conversation traveled through the long and dark hallways. A few pauses whenever Kenta ended up tripping and falling on his side. He'd always twist himself in a way that wouldn't crush his napping partner. And at some point, Davis finally noticed that Kari was being carried by the oldest human in their group.

"Improper behavior!" Davis accused.

Gatomon scratched at his exposed ankle, making him yelp in pain. "She's sleeping!" she hissed.

"Yeah, but that really hurt," Davis whimpered.

JP couldn't help rolling his eyes but stopped midway when he felt a sudden change in pressure. It seemed like the Digimon sensed it too as their fur bristled and pupils dilated. From the front, the side of the tunnels exploded as a devilish claw broke through, closing around Kenta and flying away. Looking out of the newly created hole, they could see that the culprit had been Kimeramon, a former foe of Davis and his team. Following right behind him was Kuzuhamon who seemed to look directly at Rika as she flew by.

"What happened?" Kari gasped, jolting awake.

"Bad news," JP grumbled.

"Digi-Armor Energize!" "Veemon Armor Digivolve to… Raidramon! The Storm of Friendship!"

"Digi-Modify! Bio-Merge Activate!" "Renamon Bio-Merge to… Sakuyamon!"

"Execute Fusion Evolution… BeoWolfmon!"

Cherrymon had fallen over; accidentally causing the three HoneyBeemon they were traveling with, to tumble out from within his leaves. JP let Kari back onto the ground and grabbed Nene's shoulder before she could follow suit in the other three. By then, Kenta's rescue team had already been long gone.

"There are other enemies nearby," JP explained. "I don't think the Demon Lords would be stupid enough to send only two Digimon against us."

Kari brushed the sand out of her hair. "He's right. Chances are, they would ambush the end group giving chase, in other words, us."

The idol knew they were right. So Nene took a deep breath and looked down. A General like her, someone who was used to excessive planning and careful evaluation of one's surroundings, almost reacted without thinking. She had to be more careful from then on unless she wanted to get seriously injured.

"So, where are they?" one of the HoneyBeemon buzzed. "I don't see or hear–."

"Look out!"

JP pushed Nene down just as a shadowy blur appeared in front of them. As the girl fell, she witnessed a woman appear in front of the blinding light of the sun, stabbing the silhouette of her savior. Something warm splattered onto Nene's cheeks and dripped down from JP's stomach, staining his jeans. And in her ears, Kari's horrified scream resounded like a foghorn in the dead of the night.

Cherrymon rolled over onto his back and quickly became upright using his roots. "Vine Attack!" By manipulating the vines on his head, he was able to scare away the assailant which turned out to be LadyDevimon. Though there was something different about her.

JP, with his hand over his wound, collapsed. He was losing blood and fast but how does one treat an injury so deep? Kari made an attempt by evolving Gatomon into Angewomon who used her Holy Air technique to slowly heal their fallen comrade.

"JP! JP, are you okay?" Nene cried out.

The Legendary Warrior's eyes were squeezed shut and his breathing was uneven, ragged, quick, and shallow. But even so, he gave her a big smile and a thumbs-up. "I'll be… fine… Just… focus on… beating the bad guys." With one last shaky exhalation, JP became still.

"No!" Kari gasped.

"It's okay," Angewomon quickly said. "He's just unconscious. I was able to seal his wound but unless he gets proper treatment, well..."

The trio of insects and Cherrymon, who had several medicinal herbs on him, promised to look after JP while the others went out to check out the foes they were going to have to face. As they climbed out of the hole, they found three Digimon looking back at them, self-satisfied smiles with beady eyes. Now they knew why that LadyDevimon was different yet so familiar. She was part of the Daemon Corps.

"So, Daemon sent his lackeys after us?" Angewomon scoffed.

"Nice seeing you too, blondie," LadyDevimon leered.

SkullSatamon's bones rattled as he cackled. "Hey, nice job at incapacitating that Legendary Warrior idiot! Throwing himself in the line of attack, what a fool!"

Kari and Nene grinded their teeth, nails digging into their palms, in reaction to seeing the celebratory faces of their opponents. To think that nearly killing their friend gave them so much joy. It made their stomachs churn and their palms hurt.

In the last few days, JP's looked after the group like an older brother. He'd wake up Kari from a bad dream and give her some tea that he boiled over the fireplace. Or he would perform little magic tricks in order to get the saddened Nene to smile. There were times when JP believed no one was looking but people saw the way he would talk to Kenta when the younger boy was homesick. Or mediated the arguments that arose between Davis and Kouji. He was their big brother.

"Unforgivable," Kari grumbled. She then shouted at the Daemon Corps. "Completely unforgivable!"

"We'll make you pay!" Nene nodded, holding up her X-Loader. "Reload! Beelzemon! Sparrowmon!"

Angewomon and LadyDevimon flew around each other in a spiral, firing out beams of light and darkness at each other. At some point, the former fired three Celestial Arrows at the enemy but LadyDevimon hardened her arm and blocked the projectiles. With a toothy grin, the devilish woman unleashed a flurry of bats on the angel.

"Seems you're losing your touch, blondie," LadyDevimon cackled. "How about a touch of evil? Darkness Wave!"

Angewomon spread her arms out like wings, creating a pink light that expanded outwards. "I'd rather get touched by a Raremon. Heaven's Charm!" It eliminated the bats and would've hit LadyDevimon too had she not ducked under it with grace. "What, trying to be an Olympic ice dancer?"

"Oh, darling, you'd understand the idea of looking good while kicking butt if you had any strength at all," LadyDevimon grinned. From her wretched claws, she produced an electrified whip and cracked it down on her foe. "Stun Whip!"

Angewomon caught it, stunning, no pun intended, LadyDevimon. It wriggled around like a living thing, crackling and sizzling against the Chosen Digimon's palm but she didn't even seem to flinch. Rather, she tugged on it with all her might, yanking LadyDevimon down to her level so that they were looking at each other eye to eye.

"Don't underestimate me," Angewomon hissed before performing an elegant roundhouse kick across LadyDevimon's face, sending her crashing down to ground. "Allow me to send you back to where you came from! Celestial Arrow!"

The black-dressed woman was pierced through the heart and she let out one last crowing yell before disappearing in a cloud of data. Angewomon landed at the spot where her foe had been, soon joined by her partner. They were both thinking the same thing.

"Not as strong as Noir," Kari muttered.

"Much weaker," Angewomon confirmed. "This power… it may not be enough. But at least it was for this battle."

Sparrowmon hovered around the massive form that was MarineDevimon, firing lasers at any opening she could find and there were plenty of them. But it didn't seem like the aquatic Digimon felt any of the burning beams searing into his flesh. The most it did was tickle him or at least that's what they could infer from his incessant and annoying laughter.

MarineDevimon puffed up his cheeks and spit out a venomous black ink at the soaring bird. "Dark Deluge!"

Sparrowmon smirked and as if someone had pushed the nitro button inside her mechanism, began accelerating at an insane rate. With a spin, she busted right through the blackness and flew right for MarineDevimon's face. At the last second, she shot skywards.

"I already know your weak spot," Sparrowmon grinned.

MarineDevimon raised a brow. "Gruh?"

"When I fired my lasers, the only time your laughter became broken..." She slowed to a stop and turned around. "...was when I hit your head." Flying down at top speed, it was like MarineDevimon was seeing four of her. "Crash Boom!"

"Nice hit!" Nene cheered when her partner successfully deleted MarineDevimon.

"Feels good to stretch out my wings every now and then," Sparrowmon giggled.

Beelzemon couldn't get a clear shot of the fast-moving SkullSatamon, each one of his cannon-arm blasts eliminating a boulder or creating craters in the sand instead. The pile of bones rattled as he cackled at the expense of his foe's aim. Though it wasn't that that was the problem. It was the fact that SkullSatamon couldn't stay in the same spot for even a millisecond.

"Can't catch me, can you?" SkullSatamon laughed. "But I can still catch you! Nail Bone!"

"Gah!" Beelzemon grunted. But then a smirk appeared on his face as SkullSatamon struggled to pull his staff out of his opponent's grasp. "Just kidding. You know, my cannon is pretty heavy but my free hand isn't. You can probably guess which one is a faster." For a second, he let go and then sunk his hand into SkullSatamon's chest. "Darkness Claw!"

SkullSatamon couldn't move. "Wha-What?! What did you…?"

"All's fair in love and war," Beelzemon shrugged before pointing his firearm at him. "Oblivion Cannon!"

The group converged at one point once each of their foes were confirmed to be deleted. They were tapping their feet, scratching their necks, and shaking their heads. It didn't make any sense for it to be this easy. If there really was an ambush, it would've been harder to defeat them, right? So what was this uneasy feeling crawling up their spines?

"Grenade Storm!"

From the sky, munition dropped on them like rain in a storm. The girls covered their heads as if it would do anything as their partners tried to protect them. But it was like the entire world had been engulfed in sand, gunpowder, heat, and volume. Explosion after explosion rang out and when it was over, Kari and Nene could barely move.

"Angewomon?" Kari groaned. "Where… are you?"

A small voice answered back. "Here…"

A little yellow head with a long, striped tail rolled out from the sand, coughing up bits. The best Kari could do was crawl close enough to wrap her arms around the little creature, holding her close to her chest. As for Nene, at the last second, Beelzemon forced Sparrowmon back into the X-Loader before shielding the General with his own body. He didn't have an In-Training form to revert to, so he remained as he was. Tattered, bruised, burned, and looking much like a victim that managed to survive a dropped nuke.

"No, not again," Nene shook.

"I'm… okay," Beelzemon coughed. "Just… tired…"

Nene threw her arms around her partner's neck and embraced him tightly. "I didn't ask for this. I never asked for anyone, _any_ of you, to protect me. I'm not worth it."

Beelzemon returned the embrace with one hand placed on the small of her back. "Mervamon asked me to do this when she left. But, more importantly, you dream of surpassing your mother one day. In order to do that, you must keep living. Fighting. I won't let anything happen to you until then. Even afterwards, I will still protect you and your dreams." With that, he returned to the X-Loader to heal.

From afar, they could hear something approaching them. It sounded big, sinking deep into the desert sand with each step it took. It probably had four feet and from the low growling noise it made, definitely not friendly. It was probably the thing that sent that last attack on them.

"How could they have survived?!" someone screeched.

Kari weakly opened her eyes. "Arukenimon."

"Vines?" a male voice, presumably Mummymon, joined in. "It's that blasted Cherrymon again, my sweet!"

The two Chosen Children looked to each other before looking up. "Cherrymon?" Thick vines twisted around like a net, covering them. They were burned and torn and as thin as strings but they had been there. Hadn't Marcus told them the story of a Cherrymon that protected the forest with his vines? Or what about what Kenta had said about how he looked out for him? But even if it's only his vines that get attacked, the physical body gets harmed as well.

One of the HoneyBeemon peeked out from the hole and there were tears pooling in his eyes. Directly behind him, little green and brown bits of data floated upwards. This was the ambush.

"The Daemon Corps were just sacrificial pawns to them," Nyaromon squeaked.

 _On the first night in the Digital World, everyone was on edge. Crying over friends that were gone and beating themselves up for not being able to do more. Gatomon had just been informed that Wizardmon was alive but it made her feel guilty to be happy when everyone else hung their heads and stared at the sand._

" _Gatomon," Cherrymon's gentle voice called._

 _The cat Digimon looked up. "What is it?"_

 _Some vines, balancing a tray of tea slithered close to the kitten. "Could you pass these out to everyone? I'm afraid I might drop a cup."_

" _You made this for everyone?" Gatomon stared. The chamomile scent was enchanting, making her feel light and warm. "You didn't have to…"_

" _Oh, but I want to!" Cherrymon chuckled. "Chamomile calms the nerves and I do hope the fragrance is able to put everyone at ease."_

 _How could something with such hollow eyes look so kind? It was almost like the face of the grandfather that would read bedtime stories until you were fast asleep. Or that would dance with you at family gatherings so that you wouldn't feel left out of the adult conversations. He had that kind of face._

" _Well, thank you."_

 _Cherrymon pointed at one of the teacups and winked at her. "I also put some catnip in this one just for you."_

"The Demon Lords revived them just so they could be tossed away," Kari croaked. "And now, Cherrymon has to unfairly pay for their evils."

 _Sweat on her forehead, heart beating out of her chest, what felt to be spiders crawling all over her arms, and grains of sand sticking on the back of her neck. Kari pulled her knees to her chest and looked over at JP. He was already fast asleep so he couldn't keep her company like he usually did. That might've been a good thing._

 _At the moment, it was Cherrymon's turn to take watch. And when he noticed that the brunette had awoken with a start, he moved closer to her. A vine rose up behind her back and rubbed soothing circles around and around, until her quaking subsided._

" _Are you okay, dear?" Cherrymon asked. "You look like you were face to face with a Demon Lord."_

 _Kari wrapped her arms around herself. "To me, it was worse than a Demon Lord. With those guys, I don't have much of a personal connection to besides Daemon. But the villains in my dreams… They tried to take me away once before."_

" _Well, I'll doubt they'll ever succeed no matter how many times they try," Cherrymon stated with a shake of his head, rustling the leaves on top._

" _What makes you say that?"_

 _Cherrymon gestured around them and Kari noticed how close Gatomon, Davis, JP, and Rika were all sleeping to her. They had all noticed the lack of sleep she got and they would stay up for as long as they could. Even the others that were farther away seemed to be facing her._

" _You all look out for each other," Cherrymon told her. "On the first night, when it was Nene that needed the most comforting. Weren't you all sleeping in a similar position except your position and Nene's were switched? That's what it's like to have friends."_

" _Yeah," Kari smiled. "That's true."_

" _And I'm here as well," Cherrymon chuckled. "Despite not knowing you for long, I can promise that I will protect you. Whether it is the enemy from your nightmares or anyone else, I'll make sure that you'll be able to smile the next day."_

"This isn't fair," Nene murmured. "We keep losing people. Why… must we keep losing people?"

 _They were taking a break for lunch and Nene detached herself from the rest of the group. The girl hadn't gotten very far, everyone could still see her. And it wasn't like she was wailing to the heavens or crying a river of a tears. She was just sitting, eating her instant ramen, and humming a song._

" _That's beautiful."_

 _A little startled because it wasn't a voice she was familiar with yet, Nene turned around to look at the living tree. Even though the Ultimate Digimon didn't have legs, he appeared to sit down beside her. Unable to use her words because they kept getting caught in her throat, Nene turned back to face forward, slurping her noodles._

" _What was it?" Cherrymon inquired._

" _It's…," Nene trailed off. She remembered them as her parting words to Etemon and even though it was just a nursery rhyme that everyone learned at a young age, it felt sacred. Like she shouldn't just tell anyone even though almost everyone already knew._

 _But Cherrymon was undeterred by her lack of an answer. "Could you sing it again? I really liked it."_

 _The idol didn't know why but she complied, this time, singing the actual words instead of humming them. "Kira kira hikaru~."_

" _Did you know that you smile at the end of that line?" Cherrymon asked. She didn't stop singing. "A smile suits you best." She didn't stop singing. "So… even when something bad happens and you're bawling your eyes out, don't forget that your smile is in there. You can be happy again." She stopped singing. "It's a treasure, you know. The ability to keep smiling even after tragedy."_

" _My mom died many years ago." Nene didn't know why she was saying this. "She liked to tell me to always keep smiling. But I was a mess on the day of her funeral."_

" _But could you smile afterwards?"_

 _Images of Taiki, Kiriha, Akari, Zenjirou, and her little brother flashed through her mind along with those of her new friends. "Yes. I have a lot of people counting on me, after all."_

 _The bark around Cherrymon's face crinkled as he smiled. "That's good. It's good to have people that make you smile."_

The new trio of enemies finally came into view, two of them looking more human than the behemoth they had brought along with them. It was a quadrupedal dinosaur with mechanical enhancements done to his face. Long, thin cannons protruded from his back, pointed upwards. This was definitely a Mega level Digimon so it was no wonder that it could break through Cherrymon's protection and do enough damage to put both Beelzemon and Angewomon out of commission.

As the vines deteriorated into nothing, Sparrowmon exited the X-Loader, a spiteful glare aimed towards the mechanical reptile. Before she could rocket off towards their enemies though, Nene reached up and grabbed the back end of her partner's wing. A few feet away, Kari was curled up into a ball on her side, hugging Nyaromon and trembling.

"Nene… Let me do this," said the avian.

"I can't lose you too," Nene whispered. "I can't."

"And you won't," Sparrowmon told her. "I can win this."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because I'm Nene's partner."

-X-

 **Takato came out victorious only with some help from the other side. But it looks like this other group is in grave danger. Not only did their strongest fighters fly off on** _ **another**_ **rescue mission, but the ones they left behind are on the brink of death. Can Kari and Nene overcome this hurdle thrown in front of them? Or will Sparrowmon become another casualty of war? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **Weird, I've been away from home for school for two weeks now. My mind is teetering between having never left and having everything changed. Well, either way, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and guess what, in a few days, it'll be the first anniversary of when this story was first posted. A whole year of Future, wow. Anyway, leave me a review and thank you, as always, for your support! Au revoir!**


	21. Paths That We Follow

**Ken:** Is that Zero in the corner?

 **Akari** : Yeah, he's upset that we only got four reviews for the last chapter. That's why we've been behind the wall for so long. Because he refuses to write the next scene until he gets more reviews. But I dragged them out of him eventually.

 **ExVeemon** : *Adjusts polka-dot bowtie* And that's why I'm here to ask the newest question in Zero's place! As his second favorite Digimon of all time! *Side comments* In terms of design. *Out loud* Anyway, the question concerns the newest Digimon Tri episode. Thoughts? For those of you who haven't seen it and want to avoid spoilers, just ignore this one.

 **Yolei** : Where are we?!

 **Jeri** : *Using a handkerchief to wipe away her tears* It was so sad. How the Digimon were hiding such a big secret from their partners. And then they had to forget everything. Oh, but TK, I'm so sorry you had to go through that.

 **TK** : You realize that I'm different from the one in Tri, right?

 **Leomon** : Just give her moment. She'll recover eventually.

 **Agumon** : I kind of resent the fact that I kept thinking about food though. I mean, sure, I'm always hungry but that's not all I ever talk about!

 **Guilmon** : Is it wrong to always talk about food, Takato?

 **Takato** : Huh? Oh, well, there are times when you shouldn't be thinking about food. Like during a big exam or something.

 **ExVeemon** : And there you have it, folks!

 **Kouji** : Eh? But they barely answered the question.

 **ExVeemon:** We hope you guys enjoy the newest installment and don't forget to leave a review saying anything. Twenty chapters and 115 reviews is kind of pathetic in comparison to ten reviews per chapter like in Children of the Present. So be sure to do so and cheer up our writer! Or else the wait will be agonizing. Enjoy!

 **Takuya** : Hold on! Did Zero give you script?!

-X-

 **December 25: Rocky Field - 2:07 PM**

 **Digital Analyzer** : Cannondramon is a mechanized dinosaur Digimon with armored plating on his legs, back, and spine. While this increases his defenses exponentially, the real concern is the firepower in the three cannons attached to his back. A truly dangerous foe.

"Random Laser!"

The energy beams that Sparrowmon shot out seemed to do no damage on the dinosaur whatsoever. If it did do any damage then there was no signal to tell them so. The two human-like beings that were beside the cyborg Digimon shapeshifted into their digital forms and fired restraints.

"Pesky little insect!" Arukenimon cackled. "Let's see you move around after this! Spider's Thread!"

"Allow me to join you, sweetie," Mummymon laughed. "Snake Bandage!"

Sparrowmon didn't dare let up in her speed, actually accelerating and sharpening her metal wings as she zipped right through the sticky web and electrified gauze. "Wing Edge!" She tore right through them before turning at a ninety degree angle straight up and then performing an ultra-tight U-turn. "Crash Boom!"

The HoneyBeemon helped Kari stand on her shaking feet, leading her back into the tunnels where it would be safer. Nyaromon had passed out in the girl's arms. As for Nene, no matter how hard the third bug tried to pull on her jacket, she wouldn't budge. Her eyes were solely focused on the four afterimages that her partner produced as she crashed into Cannondramon's back.

"It's no use," the General shook. "Cannondramon's defenses are too high."

Sparrowmon tumbled off the back and Cannondramon whipped the metal bird down to the solid ground using his tail. She squirmed free before the two Ultimate Digimon could make their advances on her and started firing her lasers at them. But they were countered by gunfire from the Mega.

"You can't win," Arukenimon snickered.

"Not when it's one against three!" Mummymon laughed.

"They're right," Nene murmured. "Why won't Sparrowmon listen to me?!"

HoneyBeemon stared at the trembling brunette and turned back to the battle. He watched as Sparrowmon swerved past the web and the bandages and the ammunition, launching her own attacks but inevitably getting beaten back. Still, she continued to keep herself airborne.

"You know, I had thought that Ranamon was the epitome of strength and beauty," said HoneyBeemon. Nene's palms were pressed to the ground, pebbles sinking into her skin, but she listened. "I believed that no matter who Ranamon fought, she would come out victorious. But then Kazemon came along."

"Zoey?"

The insect nodded, pulling out a paper fan with the blonde's face on it. Who knows where he got it. "She was graceful and beautiful and despite being poisoned and in a place where she was at a disadvantage, she never gave up. She beated Ranamon. And she fought that corrupted Warrior again. Remember? Bokomon and Neemon were so excited to tell us."

" _Zoey was in her human form!" Neemon's high-pitched voice cried out from the communication device._

" _And she ran right up Calmarimon's tentacle!" Bokomon added. "And landed a kick on her head!"_

" _Like kablam!"_

 _Zoey's voice joined in, sounding a little sheepish from the way her two digital friends were describing her fight. "Oh come on, anyone could've done the same. To be honest, I was really lucky not to have fallen off while running up there."_

"She beated Ranamon again," said HoneyBeemon. "Overwhelmed her. Because she believed she could win and because others believed in her."

Nene turned back to the fight at the same time Cannondramon used his Grenade Storm attack. The Armor Digimon dragged the girl back underground where they would be safe from the raining ammunition but it was Sparrowmon that was in real danger. The golden bird was soaring through the skies, trying her absolute hardest not to get struck down as she flew.

"I… can't lose," Sparrowmon huffed. "Mervamon isn't here… and Etemon is… gone. I have to… protect Nene… at all costs. Random Laser!"

"Snake Bandage!"

The blasts from the gun at Mummymon's side countered the laser beams. Once that was done, Arukenimon used her surprisingly fast legs to carry herself up Cannondramon's back and then leap off. As she was tumbling down, she released a spider web that caught Sparrowmon and cracked her down onto a boulder.

"Sparrowmon!" Nene yelled.

"Won't… give up…," Sparrowmon moaned.

Arukenimon was laughing riotously as she joined her comrades. "Alright Cannondramon, finish her off!"

"Butterflymon, Monitamon Reload!"

The armored insect immediately flew out and picked up her comrade, flying out of the way of the bullets that Cannondramon fired. Right after, Hi-VisionMonitamon jumped in front of the trio of enemies, calling down a lightning bolt from the sky with his Thunderous Lightning Attack. As one would expect it did nothing to Cannondramon but it was able to fry the circuits of the other two a bit.

"How dare you?!" Arukenimon screeched. "My hair!"

Mummymon raised his cherished firearm into the air. "You'll pay for that! Necrophobia!"

To their surprise, the Ultimate somehow summoned an army of gray ghosts, each one with a set of sharp teeth. They were charging towards Nene's partners and chomping but almost as soon as they had appeared, they vanished as bullets rained through them.

"B-Beelzemon?!" Arukenimon blanched.

"I thought he was injured!" Mummymon gasped.

If there was any Digimon that the pair feared in Nene's army, it would be the winged demon holding up his cannon-arm. "Nene's army can heal faster than normal thanks to the Hi-VisionMonitamon and their Healing Sky Light ninjutsu." He then turned over to Nene. "I'm not fully healed yet though."

"I know," the idol nodded. "But we need you on the battlefield now." Taking a deep breath, she directed herself towards Hi-VisionMonitamon. "While Beelzemon and Butterflymon distract the enemy, you take Sparrowmon and heal her. Once that's done, move on to JP and Nyaromon. Beelzemon and Butterflymon, you two will stick to flying tactics, you're not as fast as Sparrowmon so be careful."

"Roger that!" all of her partners bellowed.

Kari looked up at her classmate, Nyaromon nuzzled into her bosom. "Nene, you're finally acting like a General again, huh."

Each gunport on Cannondramon's back altered their trajectory and pointed skywards, where Beelzemon and Butterflymon were floating. The beast reared back his head and let out a mighty roar before firing beams and munition from every barrel. "Dynamo Cannon!"

Beelzemon raised his firearm just as Butterflymon hid behind his back. Without worrying about the stray bullets and beams that would overshoot him, he focused on taking out the direct munitions coming for him. "Double Shot!" This not only preserved his energy but kept them safe.

However, during this firestorm, Arukenimon and Mummymon were scampering towards the hole where Nene and the others were hiding. They had toothy grins on their faces as they were preparing to do battle. But just before they reached it, the three HoneyBeemon flew out and landed a triple drop kick on them. To complete the blow to their egos, they spread their paralyzing powder over them to keep them immobile.

Hi-VisionMonitamon, having nearly finished healing Sparrowmon, whipped around and raised his antenna to the air. "Whirling Wind Tunnel!"

"My hair can't take much more of this!" Arukenimon screeched as the pair were blown high into the sky.

Mummymon managed to swim through the air to throw his arms around her. "At least we have each other!"

"That makes things worse!"

Once they became a twinkle in the sky, the group returned their focus on the other airborne pair. But unfortunately, the view was not pleasant. Two especially large missiles blasted both Beelzemon and Butterflymon clear out of the sky, causing them to crash and burn. Nene was able to quickly return them to her X-Loader before the damage could be exacerbated though.

Hi-VisionMonitamon and Sparrowmon narrowed their eyes on the remaining foe. The quadrupedal reptile was obviously too big to be blown away like his sinister accomplices. But they had to do something to protect their beloved partner.

"What do I do?" Nene whispered to herself. "There must be something…"

"Nene, we'll protect you, no matter what," Sparrowmon promised.

"Out of all your partners, we've known you the longest," Hi-VisionMonitamon added. "We know how kind you are, how wonderful you are. We won't let that light inside you disappear."

"Never!" Sparrowmon nodded firmly.

"Light," Kari repeated. She slowly pushed herself up and took Nene's hand in hers. "Nene, I want you to borrow some of my light." The other girl returned this statement with a puzzled expression. "I'm sure it'll help you win. After all, you're one of the bravest people I've ever met even if you don't think so."

Cannondramon pointed his gun ports at them just as a bright pink light flashed between the teenagers. The dinosaur had to take an involuntary step back as he was blinded by the glow, not seeing what the humans were seeing. The transfer of the crest of light from one heart to another, creating a rather fancy letter R.

"This is… your light?" said Nene. She held it up to her chest. "It's warm." Pivoting on her heel, she looked at her partners. "It's for Sparrowmon… right?"

" _Nene!" Sparrowmon snapped from inside the X-Loader._

 _The General flinched, tears flying off her wet cheeks and onto the dry floor. Grains of sand fell from the ceiling and landed in her hair due to the echoing of that shout. The others turned to look at them but returned to their meal when they realized it didn't quite involve them. Though they were certainly eavesdropping on the conversation like it was their business._

" _How much longer are you going to cry?" Sparrowmon huffed. "You're a General of the United Xros Heart Army, aren't you?"_

" _But… Merva…"_

" _Mervamon isn't the only member of your army!" the avian screeched. "You can… depend on me, you know." Her voice was cracking and she was starting to sniff between every other word. "I'm your… partner too… you know?"_

"I know," Nene nodded. "Sparrowmon, you're one of my best friends. I can never forget that. Now… Super Evolve!"

The gunports clacked as they pointed straight at Sparrowmon. "Grenade Storm!" They fired just one second before she was covered in the light of digivolution.

"Sparrowmon Super Evolve to…" Her wings became much more flexible, akin to that of an actual bird though they were still shiny and metallic. Sharp talons emerged from underneath her and four whipping, metal, chain-like tail feathers came from behind her. With a spinning flourish, she completed her evolution and completely blew away the bombs that were shot towards them. "RaptorSparrowmon!"

"Oh!" Hi-VisionMonitamon gasped.

"Go RaptorSparrowmon!" the three HoneyBeemon cheered.

 **Digital Analyzer** : RaptorSparrowmon's new wings allow her to maneuver through even tighter spaces and soar even faster than before. With them, she possesses the ability to make sharper, high-speed turns. They are also made with reinforced, Chrome Digizoid metal, which have now rid her of the disadvantage she once had of materials of the same metal.

Cannondramon didn't seem fazed by this which made sense. The lack of emotions was plenty evidence that he was just a manufactured Digimon created using one hundred Control Spires and Arukenimon's strands of hair. "Grenade Storm!" They were fired high into the air, creating a higher range to cover though it didn't seem like he was aiming for the hole.

"We can just wait it out," Kari remarked.

"That's not quite my style," RaptorSparrowmon smirked. "Besides, if I don't go now, he'll just target you guys."

With that, she shot off like a rocket, causing them to cover their eyes with their arms to keep the dust from her trail from blowing in. But once the debris cleared, they watches with mouths agape as the bird flew right through the missiles. At some point, two energy shells were creating only a narrow passage between them but simply by tucking in her wings, RaptorSparrowmon zipped right through.

"What amazing precision," Nyaromon remarked.

"Ah, you're awake," Kari gasped.

"I healed her," said Hi-VisionMonitamon. "Working with Digimon is a lot easier than with humans so I healed her before JP."

RaptorSparrowmon flew in close to Cannondramon, clawing away with her talons, at the skin and the armor of the cyborg Digimon. But she wasn't having much effect, unfortunately. The good thing was that she had the skills and agility to avoid getting hit. Though there was no chance of winning the battle unless she got on the offensive.

"She has one move," said Nene, looking at her encyclopedia. "But she doesn't possess the physical strength to do it on something so big!" RaptorSparrowmon specialized in hit-and-run tactics but in this case, it was obvious that it wasn't going to do much unless she was fused with powerhouses like Mervamon or Beelzemon.

"What if _we_ fused?" Nyaromon asked.

Nene shook her head. "Wouldn't be enough."

Someone suddenly dropped down into the hole beside them. "What about with us?" Kenta had returned with MarineAngemon buzzing around his head, ready for action. "The others were able to save us and told us to come back here in case you guys needed help. Looks like their intuition was correct."

"Is there a card that can increase strength?" Nene asked.

RaptorSparrowmon and Cannondramon glared at each other, sending sparks in between their eyes. But suddenly, the shiny metal wings changed color and even texture. Judging from the feeling of warmth in her chest, she just knew that it was Angewomon and MarineAngemon.

"Digi-Modify! Hyper Muscle Activate!" Kenta called out.

All three of the digivices were glowing brightly. A pink light covering their bodies.

A surge of energy spiked through RaptorSparrowmon's veins as she shot down and grabbed one of the cannon's shafts with her sharp talons. The barrel was crushed and suddenly, behemoth of the Digimon was hoisted into the air at a phenomenal speed. They were so high up that it became difficult to see them. But in just one second, they closed the distance between themselves and the earth and with a brilliant seismic toss, Cannondramon hit the ground.

"Raptor Grappling!"

"They did it!" Kari cheered.

Nene collapsed with a sigh of relief. "We won… but…" She looked over to where JP was now sitting up with the help of her partner. "It wasn't without casualties…"

 **December 25: Shibuya Gym - 2:01 PM**

The sounds of fists pounding against sandbags, machinery being in use, metal weights hitting metal bars, and sneakers scuffling across the hardwood floors bounced off the walls. There was a boxing ring in the center where a fighter was sparring with his coach. The sheer focus of everyone there was absolutely intense and the air reeked of sweat and musk. They were so focused that no one even noticed the newcomer entering the gym.

Marcus Damon was breathing heavily as he took two big gulps of his energy drink. As he sat down on the bench to start lifting the barbell, the new gym patron walked over to him, offering to be his spotter. Taking one look at the man, Marcus nodded.

"So, how was the Digital World?"

"Kouki," said Marcus, briefly pausing here. "I'm sorry."

The blond man scoffed. "I don't want your pity."

Marcus had heard everything from his friends. While Ivan and Nanami were able to move on, finding new paths to walk on that would allow them to achieve their goals while also benefitting the community, Kouki was left behind. Marcus's fated opponent, the bio-hybrid that could become a Digimon, was unable to find a new path.

"You could've been an officer too," Marcus commented. "Join DATS, like the others did."

"To me, that's just a handout," Kouki replied bitterly. "If I'm going to find a new road to walk upon, then I want to do it with my own power. And the only thing I wanted, was to defeat you."

Marcus stopped lifting, which meant it was time to put the weights back. As the brunet sat up and stretched out his arms, he turned to face the other man, holding out his fist. "How about this? We do one match in the ring. If I win, you go down whatever path I tell you. If you win, then I'll stop bothering you about it."

Kouki was hesitant, but then he bumped his fist with Marcus's. "Sounds like a solid deal to me."

 **December 25: Rocky Field - 1:58 PM**

The memory plays back once more. A blast wave wrecking an entire town. Screams fill the night air as a stampede of Digimon run for their lives, fleeing their burning homes and collapsing buildings. They don't know until they're out whether or not they've left behind friends or family. All they know is that they're escaping a whole world of smoke and fire.

"Davis!" Raidramon barked. "Don't zone out on me now!"

The brunet vigorously shook his head before looking up at Kimeramon flying ahead. A squirming Kenta trying to break free of his grip. "They want Mount Olympus that badly, huh," Davis muttered. "We can't let them have it!"

"Right!" the Armor Digimon roared. His bolt-shaped horn crackled to life. "Blue Thunder!"

BeoWolfmon was running alongside the quadrupedal Digimon so he leapt into the air and fired a myriad of homing missiles. "Let me join in. Cleansing Light!"

Kuzuhamon floated in the way of the attacks, creating a magical barrier that protected the Frankenstein Digimon. But as soon as the shield went down, Sakuyamon dropped down from above, coated in flames, pinning the other sorceress to the ground. This meant that the guys could focus on just one target.

"You guys save Kenta!" Sakuyamon shouted.

"No problem!" Davis responded.

As the guys went off, the two magic-users were having a standoff. The pair circled around each other, both holding up their staves in defensive positions.

"Let me ask you this," Sakuyamon stated coolly. "Where are you detaining my friends? Ryo, Suzie, their partners, and Impmon."

Kuzuhamon cocked her head to the side. "You speak so protectively of them. It's such a shame that not all humans are like you, then maybe we could avoid conflict." She lunged forward, swinging her staff, but it was blocked by her golden twin.

"What do you mean?" Sakuyamon grunted.

"Humans... are evil," Kuzuhamon answered simply. "Spirit Strike!"

Sakuyamon swiftly erected a barrier between herself and the attack. Inside, Rika mentally took a look at each and every one of her cards, meticulously picking out the ones that wouldn't do her any good in this specific situation before materializing one in her hands. All of that took about half a second for her to do in real time.

The bio-merged Digimon sped up exponentially, flying right for her opponent but just when she was a yard away, she split into two separate bodies. A Hyper Speed card followed by a Doppleganger card. And she wasn't even done yet. Using a Fox Card to seal Kuzuhamon's power, she leapt into the air.

"Flaming Fox!" "Thunder Kick!"

Kuzuhamon held up a hand in a praying gesture and the air wavered for just a second. The talisman that had been stuck onto her suddenly disintegrated into powdery dust, allowing her to use another Spirit Strike attack to take down the clone and burn the real one. Then, jabbing her staff into the ground, she lifted herself and made a back kick on Sakuyamon's thigh, sending the foe flying.

"She can get rid of Fox Card?" Sakuyamon huffed when she landed, skidding across the gravel.

"It's to be expected," Kuzuhamon replied. "I am Laylamon's right hand, after all."

The two women shot forward, using their weapons to clash against each other, causing sparks to fly. On occasion, they would summon flaming fox-like spirits to strike their opponent down. But every move was either being copied, and thus, countered. If Sakuyamon gave herself a power boost, Kuzuhamon would move into the defensive by creating a barrier but right after, she would counterattack.

"That's some skill," Sakuyamon whispered breathlessly.

"You're holding back on me," Kuzuhamon stated, as if able to read her mind. "Unlike me, you possess four fox familiars as opposed to my one. You have a myriad of attacks in comparison to mine. So why do you underestimate me? It brings dishonor to my name!"

Sakuyamon hadn't realized that she was so transparent. "That's why. You fight honorably and you felt no pain to my evil dispersing attack. So why are you on the side of the Demon Lords? Why are humans evil to you?"

"Not just humans," Kuzuhamon stated. "And if you won't fight seriously, I'll just have to finish you! Reverse Izuna!"

"Crystal Sphere!"

Sakuyamon shielded herself from the blazing spirit before holding up her free hand in a prayer gesture. A bell chimed from her heart and expanded outwards, suddenly causing Kuzuhamon to freeze in her movements. Looking down, the priestess found that she had gotten stuck inside a magic circle, created by her foe when they were dancing around across the field.

"When did you…"

"In the north, Kaen-no-Netsuretsu," Sakuyamon stated. A fire-attributed fox spirit appeared on that end of the circle. "In the east, Kaze-no-Shizuka." Wind. "In the south, Mizu-no-Reisei." Water. "In the west, Kaminari-no-Hayai." Lightning. "With the four of you by my side, gift me with your will and present a new Fox Card."

Kuzuhamon let out a gasp. "A permanent sealing spell?"

"Seal!"

The four fox spirits started circling around their captive at a phenomenal speed before closing in and passing through her. Suddenly, a pillar of light was erected around Kuzuhamon and she found the sealing talisman's characters on her bare stomach.

"Tch," Kuzuhamon scoffed. "I've lost."

The only possible way to break this sealing spell was either to have the caster undo it or for the caster to pass away. But without any of her powers or spells, there was no way to match up with Sakuyamon. She had to concede defeat no matter how much she didn't want to.

"Lift your head, I will not delete you," Sakuyamon stated. "I've allowed you to keep your power of flight so you can return from where you came from."

Kuzuhamon's head snapped up. "What you've given me is a fate worse than death! I have disgraced my mistress by allowing this to happen to me! Is sparing me your method of trying to get me tell you where your allies are?!"

"No!" Sakuyamon snapped. "I do this because I don't think you're evil." Having met all the other Chosen Children really has changed her. "As Sakuyamon, I'm able to stop you from doing evil without having to take your life. In the past, I did not have this gift."

"Evil?" Kuzuhamon grumbled. " _I_ am not evil."

"And you seem to have the impression that _I_ am. Or at least, the half of me that is human," Sakuyamon replied. "Either way… I cannot kill you." She turned around, her heels clicking against the solid ground. "I need to go save my friends now."

Kuzuhamon watched as the other woman took off, leaving a trail of dust in her wake. For a couple of seconds, she stood there, silent, not sure of what to do before picking up her fallen staff. Turning on her heel, she flew back to Lady Laylamon.

As for the two Chosen giving chase to Kimeramon, they were having trouble trying to get him to stop moving. Raidramon attempted to bite off the tattered Airdramon wings once he got onto the beast's back. But he was thrown off pretty easily. BeoWolfmon tried a different tactic, running in front of the creature and then using his blades to cut but he froze midway when Kimeramon held up Kenta as a shield.

"Gah!" BeoWolfmon grunted as he was backhanded out of the way.

"We need Magnamon!" Davis huffed, pulling out his D-3 and D-Terminal.

Raidramon skidded to a halt so that the brunet could dismount quickly and evolve him into the golden warrior. As Magnamon, he took off after the flying menace and got ahead, latching onto the Kabuterimon horn at the top of Kimeramon's head. Using all of his strength, he was able to keep him from moving.

"Heat…"

Magnamon's eyes bugged out. It was difficult enough trying to restrain his movement. There was no way he would be able to block that powerful attack at the same time. Luckily, he didn't need to as he let go at the last second just as BeoWolfmon rammed his heel into the side of Kimeramon's face, causing him to miss. Though the shockwave that was generated was enough to blow them back a bit.

"So this is Kimeramon's power…," BeoWolfmon exhaled.

"He's not someone we can underestimate," Magnamon remarked.

Kenta was free from the monster's grasp thanks to his friends but just as he took out his D-Power, Davis told him to head back to the others waiting in the hole. It was a bad idea for their strongest fighters to all be in one place. And the fact that the others didn't follow meant that trouble had found them.

"Okay," the bespectacled teen nodded. "Just be safe."

"You too," Davis called back before focusing on the task at hand.

Kimeramon was using all four of his mix-and-match arms to try and swat down his flying opponents while trying to evade the bullets of lights firing at him. BeoWolfmon and Magnamon had the advantage in terms of speed and their size allowed them to maneuver through his movements. But just like many of their old enemies, Kimeramon was stronger than he used to be.

"Heat Viper!"

The shockwave was enough to push them back despite not even getting directly hit by the attack. It was starting to exhaust them and it showed in their heavy breathing. They were constantly flying back and forth and around and around just to evade direct collision.

"That's some intense power and heat," BeoWolfmon huffed.

"We've got to keep going though," Magnamon growled. "Magna Blast!"

"I know that!" BeoWolfmon barked in return. "Frozen Hunter!"

Kimeramon easily dodged their attacks with his powerful wings, getting in close and using all of his arms to swat down on them. "Scissor Arms!" Luckily, the pair was able to weave through the physical blows but once more, the shockwaves were knocking them through the air. At some point, their heads made impact with each other.

"Let's try separating," Magnamon suggested. So the Warrior gave the golden fighter some room before Magnamon sent a shining fist towards Kimeramon. "Magna Punch!" Unfortunately, it was blocked by the Kuwagamon claw. "Magna Kick!"

"Death Claw!"

The swipe from the Devimon claw was able to counter the Royal Knight's kick and send him to the ground. But unfortunately for him, while he was distracted by this one warrior, he hadn't noticed the one approaching from behind at a breakneck speed. His golden blade reflecting the bright afternoon sun.

"Beo Saber!"

"It's a hit!" Davis cheered.

' _No,_ ' BeoWolfmon realized. ' _My blade didn't even pierce his skin. So not only is his appearance, strength, and speed monstrous, but his defense as well._ ' Kimeramon twisted around, his powerful Garurumon leg clamming into the Warrior's chest, sending him down like a meteor. "This isn't good."

Magnamon saw his chance when Kimeramon turned to make that kick. "Shining Gold Solar Storm!"

Kimeramon was hit with a golden beam at full force. This was the Royal Knight's strongest attack so hopefully, it would do some damage, no matter how tough his skin was. But despite the absolute power this beam exuded, Kimeramon was still pushing forward, headfirst with his tough, hardened skull. The horn of the head crashed into Magnamon, crushing him deeper into the earth.

"Heat Viper!"

"At point blank?!" Davis blanched.

A massive explosion rang out through the air as a badly bruised Veemon tumbled out of the destructive dome. Before Kimeramon could continue his onslaught of attacks, BeoWolfmon got in the way, using his blade to push him back. It wasn't very effective, but it somewhat worked. Well, enough for Davis to go to his partner's side.

"Sorry, Davis," Veemon coughed. "I really thought I had him."

The Chosen Child nodded, holding his partner close. "I know. It's okay."

"Heat Viper!"

BeoWolfmon looked back to the defenseless pair behind him. There was no way they would be able to dodge the attack. So the Legendary Warrior couldn't do much besides try to shield them himself. Even though he knew that he would probably be destroyed in the process.

"Kouji!" Davis shouted.

" _Digi-Modify! Magical Boost Activate!_ " "Crystal Sphere!"

BeoWolfmon saw the sparkling barrier cover him in the nick of time, just as the Heat Viper hit them directly. Sakuyamon, with her hands up to maintain the orb, was really straining to keep it together as they were slowly being pushed back. Davis and Veemon quickly tumbled out of the way as the ball crash landed.

"Thanks," BeoWolfmon exhaled. "You saved me."

Sakuyamon whacked the Legendary Warrior on the head with her staff. "Are you nuts?! You could've at least _tried_ to save Davis without having to leave a boatload of guilt on him!"

"I wouldn't have made it!"

"And how do you know that without trying?!" Davis snorted. "What is so funny, mister?!"

The boy couldn't help cracking up after that. "I see it now! I see what Renamon was talking about! You really are the mother of the group."

Sakuyamon and BeoWolfmon blinked a couple of times before laughing themselves. It ended rather quickly when another Heat Viper shot towards them. The bio-merged Digimon quickly erected another shield, using another card to increase her magical power.

"Alright, then as your mother, let me give you some of my strength," Sakuyamon huffed.

"Are you sure?" Davis blinked.

"Don't worry, I'll never make the same mistake as I did five years ago in the D-Reaper," Sakuyamon grinned. "I'll never leave my own body defenseless again. But Davis, the last time we communicated with the others, they transferred Stingmon data into your D-Terminal. And Kouji, you got a Digi-Core from the Celestial Angels."

"Yeah, but…," Davis looked down, "We've never tried to…"

"Some of the data was lost in the transfer," BeoWolfmon finished. "It's not possible."

"That's why you have me," the Mega told them. "Kaen-no-Netsuretsu and Kaminari-no-Hayai, give these two some of your strength." The flaming and electric spirits appeared by her side, passing through the boys' digivices. "Together, the three of us, can pull off a miracle."

"A miracle," Davis repeated.

"Thank you, Sakuyamon," BeoWolfmon nodded.

All three of their digivices shined brightly. Their bodies were covered in a soft blue glow.

"Veemon Digivolve to… ExVeemon! ExVeemon DNA Digivolve to… Paildramon!"

"Unity Execute! Unified Spirit Evolution… MagnaGarurumon!"

The three of them flew out of the field as soon as the Heat Viper ended. MagnaGarurumon got Davis to safe spot while the others did battle with Kimeramon. Paildramon obviously did not possess the same amount of power as Magnamon but with Sakuyamon attracting the enemy's fire, he was able to fire his Desperado Blaster around the beast in an attempt to find a weak spot.

"There!" Paildramon gasped.

"Scissor Claws!"

"Cable Catcher!"

Using his thick cables, he was able to grab all four of Kimeramon's claws and restrain him. Granted, he didn't have near the physical strength needed to subdue the monster. Thankfully, Sakuyamon was there to assist, grabbing onto the restraints and using a Hyper Muscle card to help slam Kimeramon down to the ground.

MagnaGarurumon shot past them at nitro speed. "Where do I aim?"

"The spot where Garurumon's fur meets Greymon's scales!" Paildramon shouted. Using both his kinetic vision and high-impact attack, he was able to pinpoint the exact location on Kimeramon's body where he flinched upon getting hit. "His stomach!"

MagnaGarurumon closed the distance in mere seconds, before Kimeramon could gather his bearings. "Feral Fire!" Unleashing a hailstorm of bullets from his firearms, Kimeramon's weak spot was hit over and over again before the Legendary Warrior increased his speed one-hundred fold and crashed right into the behemoth.

"Direct hit!" Sakuyamon smirked.

"We've won!" Davis cheered.

As Kimeramon went down, he left behind a Fractal code. "Be purified by the light." MagnaGarurumon quickly gathered it into his D-Tector and let the remaining data disappear.

Davis let out a heavy sigh as the others rejoined him. He threw his hands behind his head with a big smile on his face. "I was kind of hoping this match would be tougher so I could see MagnaGarurumon and Paildramon in action some more."

"Honestly, so did I," Rika agreed. "But our combination was pretty good."

"If we battle together some more, we might even be an unstoppable team," said Veemon, his eyes sparkling like diamonds.

Kouji crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, all signs of an irritated fellow. "This isn't the time to be talking about things like that. We should get back to the others."

"Ah," Davis blinked. If Rika was the mother who was to take care of everyone, and JP was the older brother who looked after everyone, then that would make Kouji the strict father. "You keep us in check and make sure we don't get sidetracked. Papa Kouji!"

Rika snorted.

"Hah?!"

 **December 25: Shibuya Gym - 2:12 PM**

Kouki always prided himself in his strength, his swift punches and clever movements. The way he would confound his opponents by showing them power in contrast to his lanky build. The way he would stun them with quick acrobatics, keeping them on their toes.

But Marcus wasn't like one of his usual opponents. Despite that, he still felt confident in victory since he's been working out daily without much else to do. No matter what kind of giant digital monsters Marcus has faced in the last five years, Kouki should have the advantage.

One minute. That's how long it took for Marcus to knock him out.

"Tch… I lost," Kouki groaned, a hand on his face. Without realizing it, he had started crying.

Marcus stood over his fallen opponent. For a few seconds, he was silent, but then stated, loud enough for the whole gym to hear, "That was a fun match."

Kouki flashed his foe a big toothy smile before taking Marcus's hand, pulling himself up. "Next time…" He wiped away the tears from his cheeks. "Next time, I'll definitely crush you. No matter what, I'll find a way to defeat you."

"Yeah, I look forward to it," Marcus grinned.

The path that Marcus offered to Kouki was to follow the one his fiery heart wanted. If that meant what he was doing now, traveling the country on a motorbike and doing whatever, then he should stick to it. But if the wind were to take him somewhere he would like to stay, then he should try it. Sharing one more fist bump, Kouki took off. Wherever the wind was going to take him next.

 **December 25: Rocky Field - 2:21 PM**

JP was stable enough to stand by the time Davis's group rejoined them. They took a moment to build a wooden grave for Cherrymon before getting a move on. They were the only team going to the Kingdom Town by foot so they couldn't afford to waste any time.

Nene and JP were given a ride on Sparrowmon's back so they glided through the tunnels while trying their hardest to stay conscious. Kari had fallen asleep on Beelzemon's back while Rika cradled the exhausted Nyaromon in her arms. It was a bad idea to take their strongest forces away. They should've stayed back. Maybe then, Cherrymon wouldn't have…

"Hey," Davis stated, getting their attention. He had lagged behind so they all had to turn around to face him. "Rika, Kouji, Kenta, I know what you guys are thinking. But let's say I stayed behind. Sure, things would've been better on Kari's side. But what about you guys? What would've happened?"

Come to think of, while Magnamon definitely would've been a lot of trouble for Cannondramon, it would've been bad had Kouji been by himself against Kimeramon. Granted, he wouldn't have made that risk move at the end. But it might've been harder to save Kenta. Hell, Kenta might've died!

If Rika had stayed behind, a whole other set of problems would have arisen. Kuzuhamon was a perfect defensive wall and it was likely that Kimeramon would've been able to get away in the end had she remained as his bodyguard. Thus, causing them to lose Kenta to the Demon Lords in the process.

Had Kouji remained, the end result would've been a rematch between Kimeramon and Magnamon. They saw the results when it was two against one. Just like in the situation in which Davis stayed behind, it would not have been pretty for any of them.

"Yeah, you're right," Nene nodded. "We've got to keep looking forward."

"We can't succumb to grief so easily," Rika agreed.

"We can keep going," JP groaned. "One step at a time."

Davis exhaled before looking down at DemiVeemon. Keeping up morale in a situation like this was the job of anyone who wasn't down in the dumps. Usually, that would be TK. But Davis knew when he had to step up to the plate this time around. Even if that meant hiding away his own concerns.

Magnamon is a Royal Knight so why was he having so much trouble against Kimeramon, even with a capable assist from the powerful Legendary Warrior of Light. Furthermore, in the past, when an old enemy came back to life, their upgrades were never so high to the point of giving so many of their strongest fighters that much trouble. Well, there was Armageddemon. But that guy was far more monstrous than Kimeramon to begin with.

"Davis?" DemiVeemon muttered.

The brunet flinched. "Huh?"

"The others are leaving us behind."

Davis shook his head vigorously. Usually, he only ever spaced out in class. But there was one other thing concerning the fight from before that preoccupied him.

' _Why didn't my crest glow?_ '

 **December 25: Tower of Lust - 2:45 PM**

Like a teen goth girl's bedroom, everything was black. From the bed to the wallpaper to the books in the ebony bookshelf. Gloomy, spiky structures protruded from various places, like the bedframe and the mirror as if they were devil's horns on a demon's head. The only source of light were candles hanging and on top of nearly everything except the sheets. The whole place smelled of cinnamon.

Laylamon sat in front of the circular, reflective surface, calmly running a brush through her hair as she hummed a tune to herself. The sound of heels clicking alerted the Demon Lord to the presence of her subordinate appearing right behind her. Looking at Kuzuhamon's reflection in the surface, Laylamon's lips curled into a sweet smile.

"You don't have to be so stiff, my dear," Laylamon laughed. "I understand that you lost. Sakuyamon are naturally stronger. But that doesn't mean you should make such a long face."

Kuzuhamon's mask made it difficult to see her expression, especially when she kept her head down. But her mistress seemed to have a knack for reading her emotions no matter where she was looking. "Even so, I apologize for my failure."

Laylamon turned around in her little throne, using the brush to lift up Kuzuhamon's head from under her chin. "Now this won't do," she giggled. "I can't have one of my lovely dears losing confidence in herself. You have nothing to worry about." She turned around again and Kuzuhamon nearly fell backwards upon seeing the wide, bloodshot eyes and sinister smile on her mistress's face. "We will surely crush them next time."

Kuzuhamon found herself standing in front of Laylamon's special room. Thoughts of the enemy that she fought not too long ago ran through her head. The words she said, repeating.

Inside the room, it was pitch-black, you couldn't even see within arm's length though there wasn't anything in there to be touched in the first place. As soon as someone steps inside, seven screens appear, illuminating the empty room. Each one shows a different area of Earth at various time periods. But each one shows an evil image.

Pride.

A woman with an absurd amount of expensive makeup on her face, walking her award-winning, purebred French poodle. The finest designer clothes and the most gorgeous jewelry adorned on her fingers and around her neck. Mentally congratulating herself for looking and feeling better than the commoners around her. Than the people that serve her.

Wrath.

A lone man in the public bathroom, followed by three strangers. A beating. Six fists and feet knocking into the man's face and body, brutally breaking bones and tearing cartilage. Covering the putrid smell of urine and feces with the overwhelming stench of blood.

Envy.

A boy, staring at a couple from afar. He's holding a tube of some mysterious substance and when the man of the couple reaches for a doorknob, he finds that he gets stuck to it. He can't let go of the door and he accidentally bashes his forehead on the edge of the wood. A nasty bruise forms on his skin.

Greed.

A man in a business suit, seated in a carpeted living room with his hands folded, chin resting on them. A woman sits across from him and she has her palms on the floor, knees on the floor, forehead to the floor. She's pleading for him to let her out of some contract. But he waves the papers in her face and rubs his fingers together. She owes him an immense amount of money.

Lust.

A man in a hotel room, a little tubby, balding head, and wrinkles all over. There's a knock at the door and a big smile appears on his unattractive face. And he opens it to find a thin woman in a daring violet dress. They kiss, but the act almost seems violent.

Sloth.

A college girl in her dorm room. She's continuously asking her roommate to do everything. Clean the room, do the laundry, buy more soda, and other mundane daily activities that could surely be done if she just got out of bed. But the freshman would much rather watch Netflix and eat corn chips. But as soon as she's asked to make something in the kitchen, she stands there, not knowing what to do next.

Gluttony.

A portly woman with a tub of ice cream in her lap and a small shovel in her hand as she sits on the leather couch. Every move she makes, even the slightest shift in her weight, causes the floorboards to creak underneath her. She needs a scooter to get to places. A relative to grab something from the tallest shelf. Unlike the previous image, this one wants to do things, but is too busy stuffing her face or too heavy to actually get them done.

Kuzuhamon clenched her fists so tight, they became numb. "Humans… are evil."

-X-

 **It looks like this group was able to overcome their obstacles though it was certainly more than troublesome. At least they were able to access new evolution paths. But does this mean they have a clear path to their destination? And what about Kuzuhamon? What is her path? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **So, those of you that know me know that I usually update in a pattern. But I haven't really been in the mood to write for Past lately. I'll certainly finish it but for now, I'll probably focus more on this story. However, due to reviews becoming stagnant, motivation for this story has also declined. Again, I've already promised not to give it up so don't worry about that. But can you please leave a review in the box below? Thank you for reading, I truly appreciate it.**


	22. Friends Turned Enemies

**Zero Unit:** I am feeling so much better. * _Puts on red pirate jacket_ * Now, let's make this showy.

 **Shinya** : Ah, are you cosplaying as Captain Marvelous? That is so cool!

 **Kouji** : And the blue leather jacket with the multiple zippers that you put on me is because you want me to be Joe Gibken?

 **Relena** : * _With dyed black hair and in a pink dress_ * I seem to be the only one confused. Who is Ahim de Famille again?

 **Rika** : * _Hair parted on the side and cut a little shorter, wearing a yellow jacket_ * Zero is going with a theme for Halloween so he asked us to dress as the _Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger_ , otherwise known as the thirty-fifth Super Sentai. A group of space pirates arrived on Earth in search of the greatest treasure in the universe and I happen to be dressed as Luka Millfy, GokaiYellow. You are GokaiPink.

 **TK** : * _In a quirky green get-up_ * And, well, I'm Doc, and I'm supposed to ask today's question which concerns the featured group from the last chapter. Ahem, "If Rika is the mother, Kouji is the father, and JP is the older brother, then who are the others?"

 **Tagiru** : Davis is the super cool uncle that everyone aspires to be!

 **Yolei** : More like the deadbeat one who thinks he's hot stuff but isn't.

 **Kristy** : Ouch.

 **Davis** : Hey!

 **Takato** : Hm… Kari and Nene would probably be the younger sisters to JP since they're the ones being look after.

 **Kenta** : *Points at himself* Then what am I?

 **Marcus** : The nerdy cousin from Austria!

 **Thomas** : *Punches Marcus across the face*

 **Yoshino** : Cut it out, you two!

 **Lalamon** : *Sighs* We hope you guys enjoy today's chapter.

 **Gaomon** : And have a Happy Halloween. Be sure to stay safe.

 **Agumon** : And leave us a review, it's the equivalent to a treat!

 **Zero Unit:** Oh… It looks like Applimon came out.

 **Everyone** : Seriously?!

-X-

 **December 25: Worm Line – 12:35 PM**

The entire train car was filled with the delectable aromas of cuisines from all over the world. Almost every Digimon and human inside had their noses up in the air, their eyes closed, and blissful smiles on their faces as they imagined what the mouthwatering scents could be. Though they didn't have to keep it in their heads for too long as the three chefs came through the door.

"A traditional Japanese lunch is best," Kouichi smiled, holding up a bento box. "I was able to find meat apples that tasted like pork sausage, using my cutting skills and some food coloring, I made them into an octopus sausage. I also decided to add some fried squid and shrimp tempura along with some white rice on the side. Best of all, I've got green tea flavored mocha ice cream for dessert!"

Izumi shook her head, her hair no longer doing the wavy thing it used to when it was long. "What you need is a hearty meal! Chicken fettuccine alfredo with my grandmother's special tomato sauce. And you can't have food like this without crisp, freshly baked garlic bread."

"French cuisine has always been the best to me," Relena stated. "I made some fresh salmon croque madame along with a quick French onion soup. And for the finisher…" From behind her back, she fanned out some crepes. "Strawberry with whipped cream or sautéed pears with aged gouda and fresh thyme?"

"I don't think any of those things were in the dining car," Sayo remarked.

"Did this Trailmon even have a kitchen?" Kiriha wondered aloud.

The three chefs were holding out their meals to the sulking Henry. The teenager had his elbow propped against his knee as he stared at the moving fields of grass out the window. When the food came too close to his face, he turned to look at them and…

"Eep!" the three squeaked.

"That is quite the glare," Yolei commented.

Dracomon poked Kiriha's cheek. "I think my partner's worse."

"Oi."

Henry stood up from his seat, causing the other three to stumble backwards. Grabbing his backpack, he moved to the back of the train. Terriermon took a couple of steps in pursuit before pausing. He grabbed the strawberry crepe and then ran after the Tamer.

"Henry!" he called out. "Wait for me!"

Kouichi distributed the lunch he made to everyone that wanted some. He gave Ken some of the octopus sausage before sitting down beside him. Though they were both quite concerned for their third classmate, they didn't know what else to do. The guy hasn't smiled for days, not since they found out about Suzie, and everything they say only seems to worsen his mood.

Wormmon climbed onto his partner's shoulder. "You know, I've been thinking about this for a while now but… Henry's acting a lot like…"

"Stop that," Ken hissed. "He's just upset because his sister's been abducted."

Kouichi took a bite of the 'sausage' though the texture very much was of a burnt apple, as weird as that might sound. "I know you don't want to hear it Ken, but we should consider all the possibilities. The Dark Spore that's been under his control… it might've…"

"Then I'll stop him with my own hands," Ken interjected. "That's what I said, right? If Henry lost control… I'll – no – _we'll_ stop him."

Kouichi could see the determination in the boy's eyes. So he held up his toothpick and plucked up the octopus sausage right out from Ken's box. The child prodigy let out a distressed sound when he saw the Legendary Warrior stuff it into his mouth. "You're full of openings," Kouichi remarked. "How will you stop him like that?"

Ken couldn't stop the grin from forming on his face. "I'll be sure to fix that then."

Zoey couldn't help pouting as she scooped pasta into her unhappy mouth. At least one Tamer was enjoying her cooking. The way Mako smiled with each bite of her food made it nearly impossible to stay mad at the other discontent teenager.

"How is it?" the Legendary Warrior asked.

"It's delicious!" Mako replied. "Can I have seconds?"

Zoey was already on it as she grabbed his plate. "Of course." After returning with a new batch of noodles for the younger human, she took a deep breath. "You know, it's always been my dream to open up my own restaurant one day. An authentic Italian restaurant in Japan sounds cool, right?"

"If you do, I'm going to be your first customer!"

She giggled. "I look forward to your patronage then."

Bearmon, dressed in a little tuxedo, Sovereign knows where he got it, placed a silver platter of Relena's cooking on the dining table where the remaining girls sat. Yolei was somehow already onto seconds while Sayo was surprised by how good everything tasted. This was the first time such a smile appeared on her face since they first met her.

"You've never eaten anything like this before?" asked Relena.

"Well, you can imagine that Digital World chefs have never made… 'French' cuisine before," Sayo explained. "I know of the language having visited Translate Mountain on numerous occasions, but the most delicious thing I've ever eaten are the specials at Burger Town."

"Sounds greasy," Yolei said between bites.

"Yolei, you only ever eat sweets," Hawkmon cut in.

"That is so not true!" she retorted before taking another bite out of her strawberry crepe. "This means nothing." She turned to Relena. "Could you make a crème brûlée?"

At the very back of the train, Henry was leaning over the edge, watching the tracks race out from under him. In old western movies, there would be a southern belle tied to the tracks up ahead and the train would be running full speed ahead. The hero, often some mysterious cowboy passing through town, would come in, take out the bandits, and save the girl. So when does it happen?

Terriermon padded over to his partner's side, looking up. Every day, the boy seemed to grow taller and taller. "Henry… Momentai. Here, I brought this crepe for you." The little rabbit Digimon help up the dessert but then his partner looked down. The glare was back. "Urk!"

"I'm not hungry," Henry grumbled in response.

"Henry," Terriermon murmured, his ears drooping more than usual. "Momen…"

The Rookie Digimon's mouth clamped shut when Henry narrowed his cold gray eyes on his partner. When the boy let go of the railings, Terriermon saw that there were indents in the metal bars, somehow, the Tamer had crushed them with his bare fingers. Turning around, Henry walked back into the car, leaving Terriermon behind.

Henry froze mid step, noticing Kiriha in his way. "You shouldn't stand in the middle of the aisle."

The blond had his arms crossed and a frown set. "And you shouldn't be a bigger pain than Taiki. What's gotten into you?"

"Move," Henry demanded.

Clicking his tongue, Kiriha grabbed Henry's collar, surprising everyone in the car. All eyes were suddenly on the two teenage boys intensely glaring at each other. "I'm tired of your sulking," Kiriha growled. "If you want to act like we're your enemy, then go ahead. Just know that you'll have a much harder time saving your sister if you do."

The entire train car was silent, tense, as they braced themselves for the next unknown action. In a flash, Henry's hand was coming towards Kiriha's face, but right before impact, someone grabbed his wrist. Somehow, Sayo got from the other side of the train car all the way to their side without anyone even noticing.

"You really are being a pain," Sayo stated. "I haven't known you for very long, but you don't seem like the kind of idiot to hit your friends."

Henry reeled back and stared at his hand, eyes wide and shaking. "Sorry…"

Ken and Kouichi glanced at each other. Throughout their time in the same class as the Tamer, Henry's been pestered and annoyed by several people in the class. Whether it was love struck girls or envious boys, he always stayed calm. Never lost his cool, never lost his smile, he was always able to drive them away without having to get violent. So for him to resort to getting physical just like that, it didn't make much sense at all.

Terriermon was the most shocked of them all. Standing there, at the exit, worry in his beady eyes and mouth slightly open. The crepe dropped from his tiny paws. "Henry…"

Zoey placed a hand on the Rookie's ear. "He's just trying to redirect his anger on the Demon Lords and doesn't know how."

Everyone started returning to their seats though there was no doubt that an atmosphere of discomfort had settled on them. Kiriha stood there for an extra three seconds, absolutely stunned. Henry backed himself in a corner, staring at his hand as if it was a new body part that had emerged. Sayo returned to the girls with an exasperated exhalation.

"They're not always like this," Relena promised. Though she couldn't know that.

"That was an impressive catch though," Yolei remarked.

Sayo shook her head. "I caught him just twenty centimeters earlier but he kept going. Slowing down just a bit. That guy…" She looked up towards the lone Tamer. "...is stronger than he looks."

The train suddenly rumbled, causing everyone to shift cautiously. Worm's voice came on the PA system and he sounded panicked, like he didn't know what was going on. That caused everyone inside of him to start talking over one another, demanding to know what was happening and asking if everything was okay. But then they were lifted into the air, like gravity started working in reverse, before plummeting straight down.

Relena, once she shook off the disorientation, gasped in horror. Everyone was bruised from the sudden drop but that didn't bother them so much when the Trailmon was actually disintegrating around them. Suddenly, they were out in a grassy field, with a wildly cackling Gravimon in front of them.

"Bastard," Kiriha growled. "You followed us all the way here?"

"And killed Trailmon," Zoey glared. "You'll definitely pay for that."

"Oh?" Gravimon chuckled, tilting his head. "Is that what's going to happen?" With a flick of the wrist, everyone was sent flying sideways, even innocent civilians. Their screams filled the air as they crashed into rocks and trees or skidded across the ground.

Sayo pulled out a survival knife and stabbed the ground all the way to the hilt before swinging around and standing on it. Suddenly, it was as if everyone else was falling from a cliff while she found a branch to cling to. But looking up, she saw that Henry wasn't being moved by the gravitational pull though it wasn't like he wasn't being affected by it. He was just hanging on by digging his fingers into the dirt.

"Give her back," Henry snarled.

"Eh?" Gravimon frowned. "Why aren't my powers working on you?" He increased the gravity and anyone hanging onto the train tracks or anything else was ripped away. Physically weaker Digimon were deleted upon crashing into something solid and the data was immediately absorbed by a Gizumon hovering above their heads.

"Damn them," Yolei grunted. "I can't even reach my D-3."

"Give her back," Henry repeats. Suddenly standing up, he shoots forward and lands a punch on Gravimon's face. "Give back my sister!"

"No way!" Neemon shouted, eyes bugging out.

"I-Impossible!" Bokomon added.

Gravity began working normally again as the Chosen Children started leading the survivors out of there while keeping one eye on Gravimon. Mako and Relena were given the important task of helping them get out of there while the others remained to take care of the enemy. Zoey did tag along with them in case they ran into trouble that they couldn't handle alone. When Henry landed with a thud, he took a deep breath, turned around, and stared wide eyed when he saw an iron arrow pointed right in between his pupils.

"Sayo!" Ken shouted. "What are you doing?!"

The girl didn't take the aim of her crossbow off of Henry. "I've been thinking about this for a few days now. But that punch just confirmed it. Had I not intervened, you could've bashed in Kiriha's skull, killing him instantly." Everyone flinched when they heard that. "I've decided… you're much too dangerous to keep alive."

 **December 25: Wong Residence – 12:35 PM**

At the sound of the doorbell, Jaarin awoke from her nap on the couch. She muted the television showing reruns of some superhero show and went to the door, pulling up her shorts while she was at it since they were slipping down. Making it to the entrance, she found Alice standing at the door.

"Oh, Alice!" Jaarin greeted with a big smile.

Alice bowed respectfully to the older girl. "Merry Christmas."

"Ha, Merry Christmas to you too," the teenager chuckled. "It feels weird. The house has never been this quiet during the holidays. Plus, last time the two of us were together on Christmas, you were a year older than me. Freaky, huh."

"I know what you mean," Alice nodded. "You've grown so tall."

The younger girl was only there to return a book that she had borrowed from Henry the week before. So Jaarin took the novel but just as it was handed off from one person to another, the sound of something glass hitting the floor resounded throughout the apartment. They both looked inside and noticed a picture frame had fallen.

"Ah! That's the photo of when we went to vacation in Hong Kong!" Jaarin cried out. But when she picked up the picture, she froze.

Alice crossed the threshold when she saw the older girl cease all movements. It was like she had even stopped breathing for a moment. "What's…," she trailed off when she looked over the girl's shoulder. There was a crack in the photo yet it only affected one specific area. Henry's face. So while everyone else still had glass in front of their smiling faces, Henry did not.

"There's no such thing as omens," Jaarin whispered.

"Jaarin?" Alice broached.

The older girl was trembling, holding the picture frame in between her hands. Every breath she took was barely controlled. It was awful enough knowing that Suzie had been captured by the enemy, but she had believed that Henry would be able to retrieve her. No, she still believed in that. She had to.

"There's no such thing…," Jaarin croaked out.

 **December 25: Worm Line – 1:17 PM**

Gravimon sat up, a hand to his bruised face. Rage dissipated into amusement when he saw the two Chosen Children glaring each other down, one with a lethal weapon in her hands. "What's this? Infighting between comrades?" Gravimon chuckled. "How interesting."

"Sayo," Kouichi tried. "This isn't the time for…"

"If you want to fight Gravimon, go ahead!" Sayo snapped. "But I'll be the one… to cut down this guy."

"Are you crazy?!" Yolei blanched.

Sayo always trusted her gut feelings and they were rarely wrong. There was a reason why she was given the title of Legendary Tamer along with Koh. "Look," she stated, gesturing downwards. "Even your own partner is afraid of you."

Henry glanced over to his quivering partner and for just a brief moment, something passed over his eyes. It was such a miniscule thing that unless you were standing directly in front of him, you wouldn't really notice it. But Terriermon did. And he was suddenly standing in front of his Tamer, his tiny arms splayed out as if to protect him even though the arrow was pointed at Henry's head.

"I… I won't let you hurt my Tamer!" Terriermon snapped. "No matter what choice he makes. No which path he chooses. I'll… I'll be by his side!"

Henry looked between his partner and Sayo. "You heard him."

Lunamon crossed her arms. "I suppose that means he's made his choice."

The girl let the crossbow drop to her side before addressing the spectators. "You guys go on ahead and take on Gravimon." Holding out her Data Burst Digivice, Lunamon suddenly evolved straight into a giant woman holding a dual-sided, sharpened pickaxe-like weapon. She donned crescents on various parts of her body, from her shoulders down to her legs. "I want to deal with Henry."

Hawkmon tried to intervene. "You guys don't have to fight!"

"We should be working together!" Dracomon added.

But Henry didn't seem to be listening to them as he held up his D-Power and a green card. "Hmph, fine by me. Bio-Merge Activate."

Yolei shook her head. "This is getting way out of hand."

Ken's knuckles turned white as he walked over to Sayo's side. He had made the decision that if Henry went berserk, then he would be the one stop him. But he was well aware that even with Wormmon's help, they would stand no chance against MegaGargomon, especially not after what Sayo had told them about the massive soldier.

A few nights ago, Sayo had noticed the triangular markings etched into Henry's back. She later explained to them what the true meaning of the Zero Unit was. It was otherwise known as the Ultimate Triangle, with each side representing a different part of a sentient being, mind, body, and soul. Gallantmon, MegaGargomon, and Sakuyamon each represented a different side of that triangle.

The knight was soul, given the title of Honest Heart. A warrior who was earnest in every battle that he took part of and would fight with everything, no matter what. A strong soul would mean that no matter the difficulties he would face, he would overcome those challenges with enough effort and guts.

The priestess was mind, given the title of Fantastic Technique. The smartest of the trio and with her copious amount of attacks, there were an endless number of combinations and attack patterns she could perform. It is said that everything she does is well-calculated and brilliant, without having to sacrifice style.

The walking armory was body, given the title of Unbreakable Body. The one with the toughest skin earned this title as it is not easy to break through him. It's said that he has the most endurance of the three and can take several hits without getting knocked down.

Supposedly, other trios of Digimon could fit into this Ultimate Triangle as well. Though the only known ones are the ones aforementioned.

' _Even JewelBeemon doesn't have enough power to break through that.'_ Ken took a deep breath. "I'll stay with Sayo and Henry, make sure they don't go overboard. You guys go on ahead." _'If I can't stop him with my own two hands, then the least I can do is watch this until the end.'_

Kiriha, Kouichi, and Yolei were all hesitant to leave but they also knew that if they weren't careful, then Gravimon would take advantage of this perplexing situation and strike. The last thing they wanted was to be eliminated here. So the three of them took their partners and got ready to move towards the Dark General on his own battlefield.

"Kiriha," Sayo suddenly called out. He paused. "Hold up your X-Loader." He complied and from her own digivice, a flash of light traveled from hers to his. "I'm lending you one of my partners to help in your fight. She doesn't have the most agreeable personality but she's strong."

The General stared at the screen for a moment before nodding. "Understood. I'll make sure to use her powers to the fullest."

"I would hope so."

Spinning on his heel, Kiriha caught up with the other two humans, glaring down Gravimon. "You're not getting away this time!"

"Hm?" Gravimon chuckled. "But without that Tamer's cards, you won't be able to negate my gravity fields. And you still don't know where my core is."

"Three feet to your left," Kouichi suddenly blurted out, holding up a finger and pointing in that general direction. "A tiny Digimon. I sensed it earlier and it was a passenger on the Trailmon. However, it was the only one that was not blown away like the rest of us. Therefore, the core is not only on him, but you two are working together."

"That's Kouichi for you," Yolei smirked.

"Kouichi and I can handle Gravimon," said Kiriha. "Yolei, do you think you can get the core?"

"Leave it to me!" Yolei nodded. Hawkmon evolved right into Aquilamon and his partner mounted him. "I'll be back soon!"

Gravimon had started perspiring the moment Kouichi exposed the exact location of his partner in crime. So in an attempt to bring things back into his favor, he tried to increase the gravity on the airborne duo but his aim was off when his right foot suddenly sunk into the ground. Dracomon jumped out from underground and returned to Kiriha's side just as the two humans held up their digivices.

"Execute Fusion Evolution… Rhihimon!"

"MetalGreymon Super Evolve to… ZekeGreymon!"

Gravimon barely had any time to compose himself when bolts of dark energy were shot towards him. Using his eight tentacles, he was able to deflect them with ease but nothing could stop the golden armored dragon barreling right towards him at top speed. With his blazing claw, he slashed, cutting right through the Dark General.

Kiriha sighed in relief. "Now we just have to wait for Yolei to…"

"High Gravity Grip!"

Four tentacles surrounded the two Chosen Digimon each, suddenly compressing gravity on all sides, causing them to scream out in agony. Kiriha watched as the broken up data reconfigured immediately into a madly cackling Gravimon. As the General released Cyberdramon and Deckerdramon to assist, they were immediately knocked away by a wave of black energy.

"Regeneration is so much easier this way," Gravimon grinned.

NeoMyotismon suddenly joined his side with a wide and unsettling smile. "Together, we will destroy the Chosen Children."

"Two… Dark Generals…?" Rhihimon coughed.

"We can barely…," ZekeGreymon huffed. "Take on one."

Kiriha's overwhelmingly commanding voice sliced through the air like a finely sharpened knife. "Do not falter!" He took a step forward, each of his partners and the Legendary Warrior keeping their eyes trained on their enemies. "We're up against two of the strongest foes that I, Taiki, and Nene have ever faced. We hesitate in our assault for even a second, we're done for. So let's take care of them like we always have."

"Right," Rhihimon nodded, a small chuckle. "This is no different from our other tough fights."

"We can win this together," ZekeGreymon agreed.

NeoMyotismon cocked his head to the side. "Spoken like the cocky General he is."

"We'll be sure to pay you guys back for our other comrades," Gravimon smirked.

In the distance, Yolei and Aquilamon searched the ground for their target. With the avian's superior vision, he was able to locate a shiny creature trying to flee the area. A bulbous object seemed to pulse on top of it. Pulling out a shuriken from the small pouch attached to her side, Yolei threw the ninja star with expert precision, causing the running creature to stop in its tracks.

The duo landed and found that it was a MetalKoromon. The object on its back must've been the core. According to what Kiriha said, there was a particular range that the core had to be in so that Gravimon could continue to regenerate. If she destroyed it and if the others defeated Gravimon, then he should be gone for good.

"The MetalKoromon will be reborn if it's not a fake," Yolei stated. She took a deep breath to compose herself. "Let's destroy them both in one go."

Aquilamon glanced between his partner and the quivering Digimon. "If you're okay with that." Spreading his wings, he flew forward. "Grand Horn!"

Just a centimeter from striking the tiny creature, an axe suddenly got in the way, causing the horns to clash against the metal. Yolei's eyes widened when she saw that it was Antylamon that opposed them. Well, it could've been any Antylamon. What were the chances that it was the Deva? Suzie's partner?

A voice from the nearby woods floated out. "This is our test run. Antylamon, you have the very important job of taking care of these two. Destroying them is no necessary but it is preferable. Just be sure to stall them long enough for the Dark Generals to do their job."

"Who are you?" Yolei called into the forest. She glanced back at the Ultimate, noticing the Dark Spirals on each of her arms. "Those are…!"

"Bunny Blades!"

"Look out!" In a whirlwind of a feathery blur, Aquilamon grabbed his partner with his talons and shot out of the way of the deadly blade. The brainwashing devices were obviously clouding their foe's judgment considering how close that was. "We've got to destroy those Dark Spirals."

Yolei grimaced. "Feels like old times."

Even though Zoey was on the run along with two other Chosen Children and a massive group of passengers, she could hear the individual conversations going on back on the battlefield. Every step she took, she wished she was going in the opposite direction. To stop the senseless fight between two comrades. To assist the guys fighting against two Dark Generals. To help the older girl free their friend. But she had her own worries.

"Relena, get down!" she shouted.

Pushing the other girl to the damp grass, a whizzing slicer flew right over their heads. Looking up, they could see that it was a rapidly spinning Gizumon. It floated in midair, the camera lens eye zooming in and out on its designated targets.

"These things are supposed to be stronger than they look," Bearmon remarked, getting into a battle stance. "I suppose this means we shouldn't underestimate them."

Zoey was just about to agree when she heard a distant humming approaching them at great speeds. Splaying out her fingers and pushing against the air with her palm, she was able to produce a strong gust of wind. Mako was hit by it, along with a cluster of the Digimon as they were all blown back a few centimeters. Just enough to narrowly avoid getting hit by two lasers.

"There were two more hiding in the trees," Zoey explained.

"You saved us!" Neemon cheered.

Relena quickly stood and went to Mako's side. "Can you lead the Digimon out of here? We'll take care of things here."

"Neemon, I'm trusting you to keep himsafe," Zoey stated. The rabbit Digimon saluted her so she turned around to face the enemy before shaking her head and whipping back around. "Scratch that. Mako, you keep _Neemon_ safe."

"Oh…," Neemon drooped.

"No problem Zoey," Mako nodded before leading the group away.

The Gizumon each robotically turned their heads, the gears inside of them whirring as if they were about to start up and shoot forward. The two blondes were the first to spring into action, however, as they took out their digivices and covered the area in blinding pink and yellow lights. Zephyrmon flew out of that light and blockaded two of the Gizumon from chasing after the fleeing cluster while Pandamon pinned the third to the ground.

The Legendary Warrior stared right into the eyes of the robots. To her, the footage of her glare was being sent right back to the lair of their biggest enemies. "This world has suffered enough at your hands. I will not let you take away anymore futures!"

That's what she said. But what about Henry's future? Or Sayo's? Will they end up taking each other's?

" _Zoey!_ " Kazemon's voice called out. " _This isn't the time. We'll deal with this dilemma and then go to their rescue._ "

The girl inside nodded. " _Yeah, you're right._ "

Pandamon had to tumble backwards to avoid getting shot by the permanent deletion laser. "Madam, your orders?"

"Avoid the eye," was the best Relena could think of at the moment. Her brother never mentioned these things having any notable weak point which shouldn't have been surprising. These were artificial Digimon, designed with the specific purpose of being able to destroy anything. "And just be careful."

 **December 25: Akihabara – 1:20 PM**

The patrol car was parked a few blocks away from the riot. A mass of people were shouting profanities and pointing accusing fingers at the computer stores. As if it was the store owners faults for the recent digital disturbances. Ivan was doing his best to keep them from doing any more damage than they already had.

Initially, Yoshino had attempted to step in but some random man recognized her as one of the Chosen Children. Almost immediately, a stone was chucked at her head. Despite having quick reflexes, she let the rock hit her on the side of her head, drawing blood. But she didn't stop trying to reason with the crowd.

Before long, Ivan had ushered her inside the store while he dealt with this. Holding her bleeding head, Yoshino slid down to the floor, back against the wall. Lalamon appeared once she was sure it was safe to come out. The Rookie Digimon attempted to tend to the wound but she had no medical supplies.

"Oneesan, are you okay?"

Looking up, Yoshino saw a little girl, about six years old, approaching with a bright red box in her hands. A first-aid kit. Following right behind her was an older man in a striped cardigan. There was a strict, almost cold look on his face. But placing a calloused hand on the girl's back, he lightly nudged her forward.

Yoshino smiled as the girl took out some disinfectant and gauze from the kit. "Thank you. You're a really good girl, aren't you?"

"Grandpa says I should never ignore someone who's hurt," she replied.

The smile on the older woman's face dropped as she looked up to the old man, the store owner most likely. Even though she was the one with the physical injury, these two were probably suffering far worse. She heard the stories before. Ignorant people harassing those that have jobs involving computers or technology for fear that they had a more intimate relationship with Digimon than the average citizen.

"This isn't right," said Lalamon. "These people should all be ashamed of themselves! Yoshi, let's teach them a lesson."

The policewoman placed a hand on her partner's face. "No, that'll only make things worse. They'll get angrier with Digimon and as a result… angrier with these kind people."

The shopkeeper took a step forward, his stoic face revealing nothing. It was difficult to discern how he felt about a stranger entering his humble store with an infamous creature by her side but there was no way that he was anything like the dissenters, they could tell that much.

"Fools," he huffed gruffly. "The lot of them. They think that yelling in front of those government buildings and this store is going to change anything. But let me tell you something…" He turned to face Yoshino. "My granddaughter and I, are truly grateful for everything you have done."

"Huh?" Yoshino blinked. "Oh, it's, well…"

The old man pulled over a stool and sat down. "Five years ago, I saw my granddaughter, Chisato, for the first time. Her parents had come visiting the store carrying her in their arms when suddenly, everything started going haywire. Outside, on that very street, two of those… Digimon... appeared. And I can remember very clearly, holding Chisato in my shaking arms and hiding behind that counter."

Five years ago. An attack on Akihabara. If Yoshino recalled, the Tamers were here during this time. It had been Vajramon and Pajiramon, two Deva, that had appeared.

"Three brats ended up saving the day," the man continued, chuckling to himself. "At first I thought they were playing some dangerous game. But then the blue-haired one was all distressed upon seeing the machine gun rabbit getting pummeled. I saw the care and love he felt. It is the same protective adoration I have for Chisato."

Yoshino felt the smile returning to her face, tugging on her cheeks. "That was Henry Wong. To be honest, I don't think any of us care about the people closest to him than he. He even refused to fight at some point, afraid of his partner getting hurt."

"And Terriermon would never admit it but I think that's why he's even more determined to stay by Henry's side," Lalamon added. "Terriermon acts as if he can do anything even without a partner but I don't think I've ever seen the two of them apart. They really care about each other."

"Yeah."

Outside, Ivan was suddenly shouting at the crowd. There was a cut on his bicep from when a rock flew through the store window and a glass shard cut him. The big guy often spoke the innermost thoughts from within the crevices of his mind without restraint. So it wasn't difficult for him to scold these civilians.

"It's Christmas day," Ivan huffed. "Most people are with their families and I understand many of you are upset specifically because you've lost people you loved to Digimon. But is this what you want? To ruin everyone else's chance at being with their loved ones?"

Now that Yoshino thought about it. On Christmas, this store shouldn't even be open. There was probably a living space upstairs but wouldn't that mean Chisato's parents should be here as well? So where could they be?

"The Vajramon and Pajiramon incident… were any lives lost at the time?" Yoshino asked.

The old man shook his head. "It was that red thing. The D-Reaper."

"…I see."

Taking away people's loved ones, causing the survivors to be alone even on days like Christmas. This was precisely the reason why Yoshino was fighting. Eyes drawn to Ivan's broad back, Yoshino couldn't help remembering the many siblings that he has. That he's unable to see because of work.

"No more," murmured Lalamon.

Yoshino nodded. "We won't have any more families breaking apart."

 **December 25: Worm Line – 1:21 PM**

 **Digital** **Analyzer** : Dianamon is a member of the Olympos XII, she is the digital goddess of the moon with the appearance of a fearsome warrior. She has complete rule over the elements of water and ice, with the ability to fight in even absolute-zero temperature. Just as the moon has two sides, Dianamon has two sides to her own personality. Her beauty conceals a terrifying power.

Ken took a step back, feeling the tremendous pressure that this Mega Digimon exuded. "Unbelievable, so this is the power of a god?"

"This kind of pressure is insane," Wormmon shivered. "Something tells me this fight will be on a whole other level."

Across from them stood MegaGargomon, about five times as tall and wide as his female opponent but it was clear that he barely had the same amount of power. However, Henry did have the power of Modify cards on his side so he could easily improve the battle performance of their merged form. Now the only issue was whether or not Terriermon would cooperate with him.

Inside the pool of green data, Terriermon could hear his partner's thoughts. Tied in with the unbridled rage of losing his sister, there was this fear and sadness inside of him as well. Some part of Henry didn't want to do this. That was the part that Terriermon wanted to listen to. But either way, Henry was still Henry, misguided or not.

With a deep breath, the Digimon part of the Bio-Merged behemoth turned to their opponent. For now, this is what his Tamer said he wanted. And as his loyal partner, Terriermon would obey. Because otherwise, Henry would be killed at the hands of their supposed ally.

"Mega Barrage!"

Ken's eyes widened as he instinctively ducked behind a large boulder. "He made the first move?"

The seemingly endless flurry of missiles didn't seem to faze Sayo whatsoever as she made no effort to get out of the way. Wormmon was just about to use his sticky web to try and pull her out of the blast zone when she suddenly drew her crossbow.

Taking aim, she fired at least ten consecutive shots, a new arrow appearing with the more DigiSoul she poured into it. Each projectile hit an energy shell and detonated them before they hit their targets. Of course, even Sayo couldn't destroy every single last one of them. That's where Dianamon came in. By erecting a thick ice wall, she was able to block several of the fiery bombs from reaching them and spinning her weapon around, she was able to deflect the rest.

"Amazing," Ken breathed.

"Dianamon doesn't surprise me," Wormmon remarked. "But to think that Sayo could so something like that without batting an eye is unbelievable!"

Dianamon shot forward, breaking her weapon apart into two so that she held two blades instead of a connected one. Twisting around like a hurricane, she attempted to break through her foe's tough skin. But MegaGargomon was able to move fast, evading every slice, using a Hyper Speed card.

The larger Digimon threw a punch so fast that simply blinking would've caused one to miss it. The fist connected with Dianamon's entire torso, knocking the wind out of her and sending her flying past like a meteorite. But as she tumbled across the ground, she was able to use her momentum to get back onto her feet.

The insect shuddered, crouching lower onto Ken's shoulder. "That would've deleted me on impact."

"Wait, where'd Sayo go?" Ken frowned.

In his periphery, he watched a human figure climb onto MegaGargomon's wrist and start running across the arm. The colossus noticed and attempted to shake her off, but not before she shot two arrows right for his eyes. It was a direct hit and MegaGargomon howled in pain, now unable to see.

Dianamon took this chance as she produced a glittering arrow in her hand and pulled it back using the quill-like strings on her back. "Arrow of Artemis!"

Like a rocket, the pointed projectile fired, aimed right for MegaGargomon's heart. If this hit then it would be all over for the Tamer and his partner. Ken knew this, so he was about to leap forward, wanting to somehow prevent this from happening. He wouldn't be able to stand giving the Wong family anymore devastating news.

But MegaGargomon was skilled. With a spin kick and an Iron Armor card, MageGargomon was able to harmlessly deflect the weapon before using the Rocket Booster card to propel himself forward at an unimaginable speed. If Dianamon hadn't rolled out of the way, she would've been mowed down, flattened into the earth.

"I'm not done yet," MegaGargomon snarled. Skidding to a halt and turning around seemed to take only a millisecond to do. Then from his shoulders, two massive missiles were fired out, the faces on them slowly shifting into sly smiles. "Gargo Missiles!"

Dianamon created another ice wall but these explosive rockets shattered it immediately, detonating right on the goddess. Ken watched in horror as she was blasted out of the smoke and high into the sky. But her actual partner seemed perfectly calm as she placed another arrow into the crossbow and fired it upwards.

Unlike her previous weapons, this arrow was a pale blue color and it exploded like a firework, letting glitter rain from the sky. Dianamon's wounds seem to heal as she stopped her rapid descent, floating in midair. Inhaling deeply, Dianamon raised her hand to the sky, suddenly darkening the area and bringing out the shining moon.

"Dianamon is stronger when the moon is out," Sayo explained. "And the fact that Dianamon has chosen to change the time of day means she's serious. It's been a long time since that's happened." She turned to Ken. "We should stand back."

MegaGargomon kicked off the ground and flew right for the figure in front of the moon. But Ken couldn't see what happened next as the entire area was suddenly enveloped in the bright white light of the moon. Sayo had spun around to cover their eyes from the spectacle.

"Crescent Harken!"

-X-

 **This group ran right into trouble. Not only did some of the passengers get permanently deleted but now they're facing a myriad of enemies, including each other! Will they come out of their fights unscathed? Will Henry return to being the caring Tamer he once was? And what was that last attack that Dianamon made? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **Fight scenes are not as easy as they used to be. Not that they were ever easy but they used to feel easier to write once upon a time. Anyway, there was a guest review asking about the Dark Spores and I swear to answer it next time. I'll also have the cast talk about Applimon. Anyway, please review and for those who don't know what to say, some tips!**

 **1\. Just pointing out something you like is enough. A scene, a characterization, an action, anything like that. Doing that can tell a writer what they should do more of.**

 **2\. On the other hand, bring up something you** _ **don't**_ **like. This tells writers what they need to improve on or what they should cut out completely.**

 **3\. Questions, anything you're confused about or can't remember. It's very easy to make a query about anything concerning the story. I can promise that I will answer. And if you're a guest, don't worry, I swear to answer as soon as I can through the cast Q &A.**

 **4\. How you're feeling. Whether the chapter made you happy or sad or even mad. It can even be as simple as that. If it was the intention of the chapter to make you feel this way, then I'll know I'm doing it right. If I inadvertently made you feel something else, I'll have to figure out if it's appropriate or not based on the scene.**

 **This isn't just for me, this is for all writers. Don't think that any writer receives enough reviews because to us, they never feel enough. Unless they literally get twenty or more per chapter. And don't think your opinions are pointless. Your words matter, no matter how trivial you may think they are. Anyway, I hope this helped. And have a happy and safe Halloween!**


	23. Massive Helter-Skelter

**ExVeemon** : Question number one!

 **Kiriha** : Eh? You're hosting again?

 **Jeri** : Is Zero sick?

 **ExVeemon** : Today's question is, "What is ExVeemon's workout routine? He looks so handsome and rugged!" Why thank you, totally anonymous fan! Well, you see…

 **Palmon** : Poison Ivy! *Yanks ExVeemon out of the way*

 **Shoutmon** : *Puts on the polka-dot bowtie* Sorry about that. No, Zero isn't sick or depressed. He's just exhausted so he asked me to handle it today. ExVeemon was upset that he wasn't chosen so he decided to just butt in on his own. Anyway, we have question concerning Kouichi and the Dark Spores. Whenever it's mentioned, you're the only one who doesn't reach for his neck, why not?

 **Kouichi** : Hm? Ah, well, you see… I guess I'm just not as concerned about it. I mean, everyone else worries about whether or not their Spore is still active but due to my heightened sixth sense, I can tell that it's not. And by that, I mean, I would feel something there if it was still active. But I don't.

 **Kristy** : Well _excuse_ us for feeling nervous about it.

 **Shoutmon** : Next question! And this is for all of us. "How do you guys feel about our successors? The Applimon?"

 **Thomas** : Well, while it says "Digimon Universe," the creators are actually trying to break away from the old brand and make something new. So I think it's best to view it as something different from what we're used to.

 **Gumdramon** : I kind of think it's a rip-off of our season.

 **Tagiru** : Yeah, I mean, linking the Applimon and entering those zones that look a lot like DigiQuartz? If they're trying rebrand, why do something so similar to the previous season? They didn't even take away the "mon" at the end of their names or remove the protagonist's goggles!

 **Rika** : Well, at least his personality is different. He's nowhere near as stupidly reckless as the first two or last four. Not to say that Takato isn't stupid or reckless.

 **Takuya** : Hey! *Pause* Actually, no, that's a fair statement.

 **Mimi** : I'm just really hoping for Eri to be likable and tough. From what we've seen so far, things look good. But her being an idol might be a bit much.

 **Gumdramon** : Yet another thing from our season.

 **Rika** : Her idol persona is also kind of ditzy.

 **Tai** : Come on guys, let's give it a chance. It's still too soon to judge it this hard. Though only two of us are really doing that.

 **Kari** : Tai's right. We should focus on our thing. So, to our lovely readers, we hope you guys enjoy this new chapter!

-X-

 **?**

"Jian! Stop that! Right now!"

At only four years old, Henry Wong was already a menace in his household. Today was particularly bad because he refused to finish everything on his plate so Mayumi decided to withhold his dessert. That only escalated into screaming, fists to the chairs, plates to the floor, disheveled couches, tipped over plants, and torn up pieces of paper.

"My drawings!" Rinchei gasped.

"Mr. Cuddles!" Jaarin yelped.

Mayumi combed her fingers through her hair as she figured out where to start. Sweeping the throw pillow feathers all over the floor? Or picking up the glass shards of the shattered vase? If only Janyu would get home sooner. Henry only ever seemed to listen to him. Speaking of which, the pouty toddler was nowhere to be seen.

"Do either of you know where your brother is?" Mayumi asked.

Jaarin held up her torn-to-shreds teddy bear. It was missing one of its eyes. And an arm. And a leg. And both of its ears. "He is _not_ my brother," she spat coldly. "Just look at what he did!"

"I think he went to his room," Rinchei muttered. He was kneeling in front of his coloring book, every page was ripped out from the spine and littered the ground. Some were in better shape than others but for the most part, nothing could be salvaged. "Jian's really mean."

Mayumi knew that this was hard for everyone in the family. Henry was practically feral with the way he behaved when he was angry. It was fine when he was content. He would just calmly sit in the corner and watch television or draw on the walls. Which can easily be washed off. The boy would even pick up picture books and start silently reading as if he knew what the words on the page meant. But somehow, Mayumi felt that he did know.

But you tell him to do something he doesn't want to, take away something he wants, anything that usually makes a kid throw a tantrum and he explodes.

"I'm home!"

The heavy footsteps of Janyu Wong crossed the threshold and into the dining area. Upon seeing the helter-skelter and the defeated faces of his family, the man let out a deep sigh. Dropping his briefcase, he trudged on over to his youngest son's room.

Henry was lying on his back in bed, staring straight up at the circular light fixture hanging from the ceiling. His hands were folded and resting on his stomach as he patiently waited for his door to click open and his father to walk in. As always, everything inside was immaculate, contradictory to the state of which he left the other room in.

Rubbing his tired eyes, Janyu sat down on the edge of the bed, tilting the mattress over to his side but not enough to have Henry roll in that direction. As a matter of fact, there was no sign that he even noticed his father's presence there. It was like he was fast asleep with his unblinking eyes wide open.

"What happened?" Janyu asked.

"...I got mad," Henry replied.

"I thought we talked about this," Janyu sighed. He leaned in over his son. "When you feel the urge to tip over a chair, just take a moment to breathe. Momentai, remember?"

The boy turned his head over to the side, facing the wall. "I forgot."

Ten seconds of silence passed between them and with a grunt, Janyu stood up. Henry was scooped up from the armpits by his father's large, calloused hands and thrown over his shoulder. The boy was already starting to squirm and struggle and beat his tiny fists against Janyu's broad back. But the older male didn't react as he continued out the door, telling his wife and other kids that he would be back soon.

By the time the car entered the town of Shinjuku, a full hour from home, it was already half past ten. Notoriously known as the busiest and noisiest district in Tokyo, Henry was easily distracted by the bright lights of the city, drunken suits wobbling to the station, teenage girls ignoring curfew, and skater boys smoking in the alleyways. But rather than stopping in one of the more popular spots, Janyu turned the corner into a quiet street.

"Where are we going?" Henry finally asked.

"To see a friend of mine," Janyu replied. "You've met him a few times before."

"Uncle Cho?"

The man parked the vehicle in front of a wooden structure, a dojo. Leading his son inside, the pair watched as an adult Chinese man stood in the middle of the room, eyes closed, palms pressed flat together. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open and his hands flew from his chest. Or at least, it appeared that way, the movements were far slower than they actually appeared.

Henry's mouth was agape as he watched the spectacle before him. "That's awesome!"

One graceful movement after the other. Cho's hands and feet moved in what would be considered violent yet there was something elegant, gentle to it, like a ballroom dance. There was also power in the way he attacked the air. A dance that exploded when every limb stretched out to the fullest that they possibly could, reaching for their limits.

"Cho's a master of tai chi, a kind of martial arts," Janyu explained. "It helps him get in touch with his emotions and calm down when he feels frustrated."

Returning to his first position, Cho looked at the pair for the first time. Like walking on ice, the man stepped over towards them. Now that he was this close, Henry realized that the man was even taller than his own father who was the largest man he knew. Well, not anymore.

"Wǎn shàng hǎo," Cho greeted them.

Henry respectfully bowed to him. "Wǎn shàng hǎo."

"Cho, I was wondering if you could give Jian private tai chi lessons," said Janyu, surprising his son. "I'm sure he would enjoy it and he would make an excellent student."

The blue-haired boy violently yanked himself away from his father's hand. "I don't want to! It's so far away!"

Cho stroked his mustache before clapping his hands together, bringing Henry's attention back up to him. "Then how about on the weekends?" Cho offered. "A two-day trial, if you will. If you enjoy my classes, then I'll work out a schedule for you."

Janyu kneeled down and placed both his hands on the young boy's shoulders. "Jian, I know you don't like this but please give it a try. If you still don't want to partake in his classes afterwards, then I won't force you. But I know this will help you control your emotions when you're feeling angry."

Henry looked between the two men before giving them a tiny nod. If it would help him take control then he was willing to give it a shot. So breathing deeply to calm down the rising agitation in his stomach, the first lesson both his father and future sensei gave him, he said, "Okay."

 **December 25: Worm Line - 1:27 PM**

 _Just breathe. Momentai. You're blowing things way out of proportion. Things don't have to go this way. Please, just stop. Stop! JUST BREATHE GODDAMNIT!_

"Crescent Harken!"

The entire area was illuminated by a bright light. The Digimon fleeing the area, the various other fights going on, they all had to pause in order to prevent their eyes from being blinded by the goddess's attack. But as soon as it faded away, so long as they were caught for even a second, they were no longer able to focus. Everything became a wild blur as they started screaming out like a pack of wolves howling at the moon.

"Tch," Sayo scoffed. "This is why I tell Dianamon to hold back her range."

Ken shook off the disorientation from being tackled to the ground. "What did she do exactly?"

All of a sudden, MegaGargomon let out a roar before throwing himself into the forest. He seemed to be knocking himself into the trees, smashing his head into the dirt, and doing everything he can to harm himself. Everyone else who got affected by the light seemed to be doing the same, enemy and ally alike. Well, except for the robotic Gizumon anyway.

Sayo hesitated, but figured there was no point in keeping it a secret. "It's like taking a wild hallucinogenic drug that makes you think your insides are trying to crawl out of you. So you hit your body either with your fists or into other objects in order to force them back in. The longer you're under the influence, the more likely you'll just want to quicken the process by cutting yourself open instead."

Wormmon shuddered. "That's awful!"

The sun came back and the night seemed to blink away into light as the screaming stopped. MegaGargomon returned to his senses as well but not before Dianamon had closed the distance between them and was furiously spinning her weapon like a high-speed windmill. Cutting into the heavily armored Digimon, he was unable to open any of his gunports to counterattack.

"She's kind of scary, isn't she?" Sayo sighed. "As soon as you see her dark side, there's pretty much no hope for survival."

Ken had to admit, watching Dianamon perform such flashy moves without wasting a single one of them sent shivers through the very marrow of his bones. Her speed was phenomenal and that last attack was truly terrifying. But what made it worse was the fact that MegaGargomon seemed to be taking a lot of damage with no chance to get out of the way and take a breather.

" _Henry…,_ " Terriermon groaned. " _Hang in there…_ "

The boy was unable to materialize any of his cards, it was difficult just to think about which card he even wanted. " _Just… breathe…,_ " he grunted through grit teeth.

In MegaGargomon's eyes, the weapon finally started to slow down. Over time, the bio-merged soldier's eyes became used to the speed of the weapon and once he saw his chance, he gripped it tightly in his giant hand. Pulling backwards on it, Dianamon flew forward, right into MegaGargomon's waiting fist which connected with her gut.

"Oh no!" Wormmon yelped.

"She's not done yet," Ken muttered.

Dianamon had the wind knocked out of her but she didn't let it stop her from twisting backwards and straddling her thighs around MegaGargomon's head. She didn't have the strength to flip him over but that wasn't her plan in the first place. The crescent moons on her legs released an ethereal glow and the behemoth started nodding off.

"He's being put to sleep!" Wormmon gasped.

Sayo crossed her arms. "The Goodnight Sisters lull foes into a deep slumber. MegaGargomon won't be waking up anytime soon."

Flipping back around, Dianamon split her weapon into two separate parts once again and in a crossing motion, she slashed right through MegaGargomon's chest. As the blades intersected and flew apart, so did MegaGargomon, in two parts. At first, Ken was worried that the Tamer was done for, but then he watched the figure of a human teenager and a small bunny drop to the forest underneath.

"So… You were never planning on destroying him?" Ken asked. "Just knocking him out?"

Sayo shook her head. "I still want to put him down, make sure he's not a danger to us. But… that doesn't mean Terriermon should be deleted too. And I'll respect the little guy's wishes... for now. I'm just hoping this will have cooled down that hot head a little." She nodded over to the woods. "We should go looking for him. Hopefully, the fall didn't kill him."

"Oh, right," Ken nodded before following after her. He had to say, he was grateful to her for sparing their lives. But he also reminded himself not to get on her bad side.

 **December 25: Hermes Caverns - 1:28 PM**

The snow on the ledge fell off in clumps as Kazu lost his footing, nearly slipping down into the icy depths below. Luckily for him, Falcomon was there to catch him by the collar of his brown fleece coat. With a relieved sigh and a word of thanks, the boy continued climbing until he was helped onto the plateau by Keenan.

"Well," Keenan huffed. "Here we are."

The Tamer wiped the sweat from his brow. "Uh, okay, but where is here?"

Keenan didn't answer, just pointed his flashlight to the walls of the cave, revealing an intricate mural. Kazu's jaw dropped as he exhaled deeply upon seeing the colorfully carved painting, lightly brushing his fingers over the vaguely familiar image of Merukimon. BlackToyAgumon seemed to be scanning the walls, not in the same way as he could in his higher forms, as if searching for something out of place.

"Are these the twelve Olympians?" Kazu asked.

Keenan nodded. "And that…" He points to the triangle in the center of the circle that each of the god warriors have created. "...is Mount Olympus. Merukimon showed me this wall when I was still really young so I didn't quite understand it. But meeting him again, I felt compelled to come back here."

Falcomon landed between the boys, raising a wing. "Perhaps we can find a clue. These paintings are supposed to detail Merukimon's history, after all."

"Along with the other eleven Olympians."

The machine Rookie plodded around to face them. "Twelve others." He reached up and brushed his hands over a smudge on the wall. The others leaned in close and saw another figure being revealed underneath. "That one is Plutomon."

They remembered hearing about this particular god and even if they hadn't, they could infer plenty from the name. Neither of these boys were very smart but they did know that Pluto was the Roman god of the underworld, the equivalent to the Greek god Hades. Did that make him an embodiment of evil? Not necessarily. Despite what Disney's _Hercules_ conveyed, in actual mythology, Hades was probably the most docile of the gods. Compared to Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, or Aphrodite, he didn't act on personal impulse as much.

Plutomon in particular was not evil, just ruthless. Like Jupitermon, he performed divine judgment over criminal Digimon. However, where his light counterpart gave them a trial, the dark one preferred to destroy all criminals. In his mind, even stealing was a slippery slope into homicide and genocide. Not that he had any room to judge considering he was the reason for the birth of Pride and Wrath.

"If Plutomon is part of this circle…," Keenan muttered. "Then that must mean we need all thirteen in order to bring out Mount Olympus."

Kazu crossed his arms. "Why didn't Apollomon or Dianamon or any of our other Olympian allies tell us this?"

The answer was obvious. The gods were once rulers of the Digital World but over time, Digimon stopped bowing their heads to them. It wasn't like they stopped believing in them, if that happened then the gods would permanently disappear. No, they were simply no longer revered or feared. So over time, the gods simply became a part of their history. And because of that, the gods could no longer remember things about even themselves.

"Merukimon started chronicling his life and the others to make sure he wouldn't completely forget," Keenan explained. "That's the purpose of these paintings."

The paintings were incredibly detailed, it was a surprise to know that someone as huge as Merukimon was able to create them seeing how small they were in comparison to his giant frame. To the far left, there were drawings of the seven Demon Lords. They seemed to move across the wall, laughing maniacally and spewing flames from their fingertips. Only the twins of Gluttony remained motionless.

Kazu tapped the side of his jaw before looking back to the original painting. "Now that I think about it… the gods looked like they were moving as well."

Returning to their initial spot, they found that the Tamer was right. It was slight but they were definitely animated in some way. Keenan clicked off his flashlight and just as he had suspected, the figures glowed in the dark a bit.

"Encryptions," Falcomon pointed out.

Kazu narrowed his eyes and scowled, leaning closer to the seemingly random assortment of chicken scratch. And he thought his handwriting was illegible. "Did a toddler with a very weak grasp of the western alphabet write this?"

Keenan chuckled before shaking his head. "It's just Digi-Code but heavily programmed so that it's hard to read. Though, even if it was decoded, without proper education on the written language, you wouldn't understand any of it."

The boy held out his digivice and started scanning the wall, slowly but surely decoding each word, letter by letter. On the screen, it slowly translated from English into Japanese which was good because both of their grades in the foreign language were below average. But before Kazu could even squeeze in to read, Keenan suddenly reeled back, eyes wide and body shaking.

"What's wrong?" the brunet asked.

"We have to destroy this wall," Keenan stated.

"Eh?!"

Kazu grabbed the other boy's wrist, pulling it down. Or he tried to, Keenan was a lot stronger than his lanky body seemed to imply. "But these paintings are important to Merukimon, right? And that guy was like your father, right?"

"Their locations," Keenan shook. "Those words that continue changing tell the locations of each of the Olympians. If the enemy finds this wall, they'll be able to find each and every single one of them. If we don't destroy this wall then…"

"We can just seal off these caverns," Kazu suggested. "We don't have to destroy this."

Keenan let his hand drop to his side as he stared at the wall. The paintings chronicled the entire life stories of each of the gods. On one side of the wall, Merukimon let Keenan finger paint when he was tiny, making images of himself, Falcomon, Frigimon, and Merukimon, a picture perfect family in its own right.

"In order to protect them, I have to," said Keenan.

Just then, the sound of feet approaching them in the dark caught their attention. A pair of slanted, yellow eyes stared at them, making a hissing noise as the pupils dilated into a thin, black slits. A giant snake? That was certainly unnerving. But Falcomon, who could see in the dark fairly well, recognized the figures as he plodded over to them.

"Mervamon? What are you doing here?" the avian asked. "Nene - well - Kari told us that you had run off with Minervamon."

Keenan turned on his flashlight once more, illuminating the entire cavern as the light bounced off the crystalline ceiling. Minervamon licked her lips as she stepped forward. It seemed as though Mervamon had become submissive, odd considering her explosive personality.

"I brought her here," Minervamon giggled. She skipped along the very edge of the ledge, looking as if she might tilt over and plummet several hundred meters. But stopping right in front of the image of the mountain, she frowned. "So that old fart really has been doing this." She placed her hands on her hips and let out a sigh. "But now he's gone off and died. Twice!"

"Minervamon!" Mervamon snapped.

"Aren't you his friend?" Kazu scowled. "How can you say something like that about him?"

The goddess shrugged, turning on her heel, the long way around, to face the boys. "No one ever said that the gods had to get along. We were born into these positions."

Merukimon never spoke about the other gods very often. Keenan knew about this as a fact. The god barely ever mentioned being an Olympian himself. There were just times when he would sit on his icy throne and make a random, reminiscent remark about the past. They were always so offhanded that everyone had just assumed he was daydreaming out loud.

"So why are you here?" Keenan asked.

"To show Mervamon," she answered. "I need her to be remember our shared past together."

The amazoness warrior turned to face the paintings, following along each drawing with the forked tongue of her scaly snake-arm. She paused in front of a woman, raising a massive broadsword over her head and swinging it around like a helicopter chopper. Beneath her was the figure of a pirate swimming in a sea of gold coins.

"Well?" Minervamon broached.

Her larger self placed a hand over her left breast. "There's a stirring in my chest… and a slight throbbing in my head. Perhaps… I do remember being one with you."

Minervamon let out a squeal. "So does this mean…?"

"However," Mervamon interjected, turning on the smaller Digimon. "That was in the past. Right now, I am Nene's trusted partner and friend. I cannot just abandon that."

Minervamon crossed her arms and glanced at the pair of humans. Her pupils seemed to cross over their entire bodies in one second, as if she had assessed them just like that. "I don't get it," she huffed, twirling a braid in her fingers. "Why ally yourself to these beings?"

BlackToyAgumon narrowed his eyes and Falcomon ruffled his feathers. But their partners kept them controlled, placing hands on their heads.

Mervamon, however, did not have a human to restrain. She took a step forward, her arm hissing wildly and her hand on the hilt of her blade. "What do you mean?"

"Now, now, no need for aggression." As a side comment, she added, "Probably not the best idea to throw out _all_ of my unattractive traits and compile them into one whole separate being." The boys held their breath and bit their tongues but strangely enough, Mervamon didn't seem to react. "Anyway, what I meant was that humans are the main causes of our distress. They've released and created viruses and monsters and even exacted mass genocide on our species. Why partner yourselves to such horrid creatures?"

Falcomon flapped his wings indignantly. "How dare you group all humans together like that!"

"Kazu isn't like that!" BlackToyAgumon yelled. "The first time we met, he took care of me when fellow _Digimon_ turned their backs on me. What you say is nothing more than the words of a discriminatory, superiority-complexed deity!"

Mervamon was wide-eyed but her face relaxed into a rather smug grin. "Honestly, I couldn't have said it better myself."

"If my infamous tantrums were still a part of my personality, I would be halfway through with destroying this place already," Minervamon sighed. She placed her hands on her hips and turned to the boys once more. "Alrighty then! If you two can prove to me that humans are worth protecting, then I'll give up on being one with Mervamon."

"Eh?" the humans blinked.

"You're on!" Falcomon and BlackToyAgumon shouted.

"Wait, we never agreed to this," said Keenan. "And how do we prove that to you, exactly?"

Minervamon placed a hand to her chin, obviously, she had not thought about that. "I know! I'll follow you two around and study."

"That'll take way too long!" Mervamon interjected. "Don't tell me your brains also left that head of yours and entered my body." With a heavy sigh, she turned away. "I'm going to head back to Nene, for all I know, she's in danger right now and needs my help."

The only problem was that Mervamon had been following her other self this entire time. She barely had any idea how they even got here let alone how to get back. Not to mention, her partner was likely to be long gone from the last spot that they were together. Furthermore, there was still the question of what they should do about the paintings.

"How do we seal off this place?" Keenan asked aloud. "It's huge and if we cause a cave in, they can still dig their way inside."

Minervamon raised her broadsword, letting the sharp blade rest harmlessly on her shoulder. "Let's just destroy it. There's no need to get all sentimental."

"No," Mervamon interjected. "This is still something important to your fellow Olympian."

The smaller woman groaned. "Don't tell me, my naivete also got transferred over to you?"

"Perhaps it did," Mervamon stated, standing tall. "But if that means I'm the open-minded one who has given humans a chance, then so be it. I'm happy with Nene. The Chosen Children, the ones you see as worth less than you, I can say for certain that they are something truly special."

Keenan continued from there. "Not just us. There are lots of humans that are kind, loving, and they're worth protecting because we're the ones that will bring about a better tomorrow."

"A better tomorrow?" Minervamon repeated.

It was as if she was writing things down in a mental notepad. Eventually, she started leading them out of the cavern and with a wild swing of their blades, the pair of women sealed the place off. The next step involved Kazu and a Modify card.

"Digi-Modify! Formation Gamma: Freeze Frame Activate!"

An old-fashioned camera materialized above BlackToyAgumon's head, landing in his blocky hands. With a push of a button, a flash went off and a photo slid out from the bottom. Fanning the piece of paper, they saw the image of the toppled over caverns and looking up, the actual place was completely gone.

"Handy trick," Mervamon remarked.

"So long as the card is still in play, it won't come back," Kazu explained. "However, it doesn't work on other Digimon, only field and equipment cards. So don't bother asking me to use it on one of the Demon Lords or something like that."

Keenan looked between the card and the brunet. "You're a lot more skilled than Rika gives you credit for."

"No…," Kazu sighed. "In terms of raw power, I have more than even Henry. But if I were to actually play a game against any of them, I would lose."

BlackToyAgumon looked up at his partner, knowing that that wasn't like Kazu at all. Usually, the Tamer would be bombastically telling people how he would one day take down the former King and Queen. It was uncharacteristic of him to openly admit that his skill level was below theirs.

Stuffing his hands deep into his pockets and burying his chin into the fluffy insides of his jacket, Kazu turned away from the others, refusing to face them. Minervamon didn't quite understand the change in atmosphere while Mervamon was asking Falcomon about what Merukimon was like. Keenan and BlackToyAgumon seemed to be the only ones concerned for the other boy.

"Don't be so pessimistic," Keenan chuckled, placing a hand on his schoolmate's shoulder. "The future is full of surprises. But the ideal one won't come to you if you don't _make_ it happen."

"That's right!" BlackToyAgumon agreed. "We make our own futures. Nothing is set in stone."

Kazu was surprised by how badly these two wanted to cheer him up. But he supposed they had a good point. After all, the odds were completely against them at this point. They've seen the calamitous power that the Demon Lords had. If they gave up, thinking they wouldn't stand a chance no matter what, then the whole multiverse would be lost.

The brunet let out a sigh. "Mom's right, I've been watching too much TV. I have this sudden urge not to give up now."

"That's not totally a bad thing," Keenan smirked.

 **December 25: Worm Line - 1:30 PM**

As soon as the moonlight faded away, Antylamon continued her rapid onslaught of attacks. It was only thanks to Silphymon's superior speed that she was able to avoid getting cleaved in two. Now the real issue was concentrating her Static Shock attacks so that it only hit the Dark Ring. But with such an explosive attack on such a small but fast-moving target, it was difficult to aim properly.

At some point, both axes came down for Silphymon's shoulders, had the blows connected, he would be missing two limbs. But he was fast enough to grab the blades with his hands, letting the sharpened metal sink into his palms. Had he been human, blood would be spurting out but instead, it was red data that sprinkled down his arms.

"She's strong," Silphymon grunted. "But I won't lose!"

Without the strength to push back on the blades, she instead pulled herself up and slammed her feet into Antylamon's chest. They broke away from each other and the warrior immediately produced a ball of hot energy in between her hands. It rocketed forward but the Deva shifted in her position, letting it strike her in the stomach.

Yolei gasped, a hand over her mouth. "Antylamon, she doesn't even care about her own life. So long as that Dark Spiral remains intact."

Antylamon didn't seem to have suffered any damages from the assault though, no burn marks or scratches. Her breathing was normal and she hadn't even doubled over. Rather, it was as if the tissue on her abdomen had hardened and she was suddenly shooting forward.

"Arm Bomber!"

Silphymon enveloped his partner into his feathery arms before taking to the skies, narrowly avoiding getting mowed over by a lariat. Instead, the pair watched as a cluster of trees were toppled over and flattened into the ground. It was a good thing they weren't struck by that.

"Let's try something else," Silphymon muttered, dropping off his partner before gliding forward. "Dual Sonic!"

The rabbit Deva pulled herself out of the wreckage just in time to see the white figure fly towards her. Spinning on her axis so that she became a twister, she sliced through the attack and continued on to slam Silphymon into the ground. "Asipatravana!" As if that wasn't enough, she was about to cut right into Yolei as well.

"Don't think I'm defenseless!" Yolei snapped.

The human girl pulled out two throwing stars from her pouch and tossed them towards the tornado. As she had hoped, the strings attached had gotten tangled up in the Ultimate Digimon but what she had not been expecting was the difference in strength between them. Yanked off from the stone she stood upon, Yolei spun right into the thick trunk of a tall tree. A sickening crunch traveled through the air as she landed in a motionless heap in the dirt.

"Yolei!" Silphymon cried out.

Antylamon stopped spinning and leapt high into the air. Her shadow showed that she was directly on top of Silphymon. "Bunny Blades!"

"Not good," the bird-man grimaced as he rolled out of the way and onto his talons. "Static Force!"

The bunny batted away the energy ball with an axe as she landed, crouching down. Stretching out her flexed legs, she shot forward like a speeding bullet. Twisting her body around, she used her powerful legs to slam into Silphymon's torso, sending him flying backwards.

The voice that had originally given orders to their brainwashed foe called out again. "Excellent, now be sure to finish them off."

Antylamon nodded, raising her hands to air as she loomed over the struggling body of Silphymon. "Bunny-."

A small, black blur flew through the air and struck the side of Antylamon's ear, leaving a tiny crack in the Dark Spiral. In that moment of shock and hesitation, Silphymon shot forward and using her claws, she broke both Spirals, leaving cracked chunks littering the floor.

"Bingo!" a familiar voice cheered.

Yolei stepped out from her hiding spot behind a boulder, holding up MetalKoromon by the wiry tail. It had been their plan for a while now. Even Dianamon's lunar attack worked in their favor.

Since it was quite common recently for enemy Digimon to target the human partners, Yolei decided to use that to their advantage. She had been working on creating her own substitution jutsu. On the Trailmon, she had been working on a simple android that could easily be confused for her if you didn't look too closely. Then she broke it apart into smaller pieces so that it could fit in her backpack.

When Dianamon had illuminated the entire area, Silphymon had been unaffected due to her visor. But with Antylamon being as unstable as she was, they didn't want to run the risk of launching an attack lest they accidentally knocked her in the face. So instead, the bird-man covered Yolei's eyes. Once she got the cue to keep her head down, she immediately assembled her doppelganger.

As for when they implemented this plan. When Silphymon nabbed Yolei, they had already been swapped. The real one remained hidden, crawling towards the unsuspecting MetalKoromon while her partner acted as the distraction. Once that was complete, all Yolei had to do was puppeteer her creation so that it looked real enough to fool their opponents. In the end, it was a huge success.

"Silphymon, take care of this," the bespectacled girl grinned, tossing MetalKoromon into the air.

"With pleasure," Silphymon nodded. With a powerful kick, the small Digimon was deleted along with the core.

"Ugh, my head," Antylamon groaned, shaking her head before looking over to the Chosen Child. "Thank you, Yolei. If it hadn't been for you…"

Yolei stopped her right there. "It's what friends do."

The trio each attempted to take a step towards each other when they realized that they were unable to move their feet. Not only that, but the temperature had suddenly dropped by several degrees. Looking down, they found that they had been frozen to the ground, coated in solid ice.

"Now what?" Silphymon groaned.

"My bitterness is starting to rub off on you," Yolei chuckled before getting serious. "It must be IceDevimon. Rika did warn us that it might be him that wanted Suzie."

Silphymon broke out of the ice with his talons but as soon as he was free, IceDevimon had appeared in front of him. In a blur, the fallen angel punched him directly in the face, making him skid across the ice, getting scratched up by the jagged pieces and spikes. Without a pause for breath, IceDevimon turned Antylamon into a frozen statue.

"I'm afraid I'll have to take my leave now," IceDevimon chuckled darkly. "Thank you for entertaining us."

"Damn," Yolei hissed.

Silphymon quickly produced another ball of hot energy. "Static Shock!"

A portal opened up, rippling the air as IceDevimon kicked the ice sculpture through before following right behind. The energy ball blasted right past as the rip in space closed up. Yolei chipped her way out of the ice with a ninja star, careful not to aim directly on her feet while her partner blankly stared at the space where their friend just stood.

"I could use a little help over here!" she called out.

"Ah, right, sorry Yolei," Silphymon said, floating over to her. "Are you okay?"

"Cold and slightly bruised," she replied. "But in general, feeling pretty good about myself. We were able to destroy the core and we gave Antylamon a run for her money. All we need to do now is find a way to save her, Suzie, and everyone else from the Demon Lords."

The bird-man stood there for a while as his partner used hand warmers to bring feeling back to her feet. With a near silent chuckle, Silphymon whispered to the air, "You really have matured now, haven't you. I'm glad."

"Did you say something?"

"No, nothing. Let's go help the others."

They may have been lucky at avoiding the cursed moonlight but Zephyrmon and Pandamon certainly weren't. In a fit of confused rage, they not only barreled into each other but also smashed their bodies into the trees. Relena was no better, she had been clawing at the skin on her arm just moments ago, as if trying to peel it off.

The three Gizumon used this moment to their advantage and sliced their way past the two Ultimates. Not only did they wound the barricade, but they were already halfway there to the screaming Mako and company. Zephyrmon heard their cries for help and using all the willpower she had, forced herself up and produced a powerful wind to whip around her.

"I have to… protect them," the Warrior of Wind grunted. "Hurricane Gale!"

The Gizumon evaded the attack with relative ease but by then, the moonlight had faded away. So with a single wingbeat, Zephyrmon soared through the air, maneuvering through the woods with incredible expertise. Using her claws, she slammed down one of the Gizumon by hammering the top of its head. Whipping around, she got a roundhouse kick in on the second and slashed her tail through the third.

"She's fast," Pandamon remarked.

"And really strong," Relena nodded.

But the Legendary Warrior wasn't the only one that could pack a punch. She had to twist herself around to avoid the lasers they shot and that left her open for attack. So all three robots surrounded and slammed their metal flaps downward, grounding her.

The ursine Digimon quickly sprinted forward, realizing that he couldn't just stand and watch as he unsheathed his claws. "Animal Nail!" With a leap and a drop, he was able to pin down one of the Gizumon beneath his weight. "Zephyrmon, can you handle two at the same time?"

Smirking underneath her mask, the Warrior sunk her claws into the dirt, lifting herself up into a handstand position. Taking a page from her human spirit's book, she performed a split and started spinning at a rapid speed, repelling the other two. Then, righting herself, she immediately produced red lightning from her hands.

"Plasma Paws!" The ground shook as both Gizumon were blasted into the ground and torn to shreds. "Did that answer your question?"

Pandamon had already finished dismantling his target piece by piece with his razor sharp claws. By the time they were finished turning their enemies into scrap, Relena had joined them. It seemed relatively easy to take down the trio of androids.

"After disarming them once, they're nothing more than cannon fodder," Pandamon explained.

"The real trouble is elsewhere," Zephyrmon remarked. With her heightened sense of hearing, she was able to detect the trouble that their friends were having facing two Dark Generals at the same time. "Unfortunately, there might be more Gizumon nearby so let's just hope the others can deal with it while we protect Mako and the refugees."

Relena nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a good idea."

The three of them took off to join the other passengers from the Trailmon, praying that everyone else would get out of their own predicaments in one piece. As they were running, they noticed a massive green soldier falling towards them. Splitting in two, a pair of small figures plummeted to the ground. Dianamon flew in one direction, following one of the falling lights.

Zephyrmon paused. The sound of the wind whistling as a human body dropped towards the ground reached her ears. Without saying a word, she flew forward, out of Relena's line of sight, ignoring the confused calls from the two she left behind. And above the canopy, Henry landed in her waiting arms.

"This didn't have to happen," she sighed.

For all the time they had spent together, Zoey thought she had the other boy figured out. But when she really thought about it, he was always the listener no matter what group he was in. Where she would dump a bunch needless information on his head, he would just nod along. So, as it would turn out, perhaps no one knew anything about Henry Wong.

-X-

 **Henry was defeated and two other fights have turned out in our heroes' favor! Still what could possibly be going through Henry's head? And what about the Olympians? And how is Kiriha's group faring against two Dark Generals? Only one way to find out! And that's by staying tuned to Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **I honestly hate how short these fight scenes are. But at the same time, I've done enough stalling. So, I've made a decision, unless it's supposed to be something important, the fight scenes won't be much more than a quarter of the chapter. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed and for my fellow Americans, have a good Thanksgiving break! Oh, and don't forget to leave a review! And remember, if you have any questions for the group or me, feel free to ask. See ya!**


	24. Using Any and Every

**Sora & Mimi: **Merry Christmas!

 **Tagiru** : M-M-M-Miniskirt Santa?!

 **Rika** : You said no fan service!

 **Zero Unit** : Mimi asked for this. So for today, these two are going to be hosting in red and green Santa suits. Deal with it.

 **Yuu** : Tagiru! *Grabs friend's head* Show some restraint!

 **Zoey** : *Slaps Takuya's and JP's heads* The same goes to you two!

 **Sora** : For today, we have a very special Christmas present to give all of you. Well, besides a brand new chapter fresh off the press.

 **Mimi** : But, before we get to the… *Twirls around and winks* unwrapping. We do have a question sent in from one of our fans. And we think it'll help all of you folks be a sexy Santa as well. So here we go! Sora, the present?

 **Sora** : *Pushes in a giant, snowflake-patterned, gift-wrapped box* It seems someone was interested in the question from last time, so…

 **ExVeemon** : *Bursts out of the present wearing a Santa hat, tight red shorts, and flexing* Merry Christmas!

 **Sora & Mimi**: Ta-da!

 **Quarter of the Guys** : My eyes!

 **ExVeemon** : With my training program, you can look just a sculpted as I do! One hundred pushups, one hundred sit ups, one hundred squats, and ten kilometers of running… every single day! And in no time, you'll get muscles like these! *Flexes again*

 **Davis** : Hold on… Isn't that… One Pu-?

 **Sora** : And now it's time to move on to today's chapter. But a quick PSA, remember to stay warm during the holidays. And don't get greedy. Remember, the true spirit of Christmas is about spreading love and joy. Not getting the most expensive ring or game.

 **Mimi** : And we do sincerely hope you guys have fun with your loved ones. Be sure to tell the people who matter most that you care about them.

 **Biyomon** : Happy holidays!

 **Palmon** : And have a Happy New Year!

 **Everyone** : We hope you enjoy the newest chapter and see you next year!

-X-

 **December 25: Worm Line – 1:30 PM**

Kiriha had a personal score to settle with Gravimon and it seemed the feeling was mutual as the Dark General used his gravity-manipulation powers to get the boy on his own. ZekeGreymon was able to chase after his partner and the cruel tactician, leaving the others behind. Rhihimon was worried about the blond but there wasn't any time to dwell on it as NeoMyotismon swiped at him with his razor-sharp claws.

Rhihimon was able to block the blow using his staff just in the nick of time. "Too scared to take us both at the same time?"

"You should consider yourselves lucky that you don't have to face us both," NeoMyotismon smirked.

From the demon's chest, black orbs flew out like bullets, they screamed through the air as they looped around the Legendary Warrior, coming for his back. Rhihimon pushed his opponent back before spreading out his golden wings and shooting skywards. Unfortunately for him, the ammunition followed close behind.

"Don't think you can forget about us!" Deckerdramon bellowed. Whirling around, he struck at the villain with his metal tail. "Cyclone Crusher!"

Cyberdramon took to the skies and with a snarl, he placed his feet on his spinning tail and held out his spear, coming right for NeoMyotismon's head. "Spinning Stingers!"

The Dark General saw that their timing was off so he held out his claws and latched onto the faster one, Deckerdramon. Once he got a firm hold on the tail, stopping it mere moments from impacting his chest, he flung the behemoth upwards. The metal monolith crashed into Cyberdramon, causing him to veer off course as they both crashed into the dirt.

"Is that all?" NeoMyotismon chuckled darkly.

"Volcanic Fount!"

The shout came from behind but it was obvious where the attack was coming from. NeoMyotismon could stand to be destroyed a few times but that meant less time to show off. So spreading his devilish wings, he flew out of the range of the meteorites raining down on the area he just stood upon. But he didn't just fly out of the way; he slid backwards at breakneck speed before slamming the soles of his feet into Volcdramon's face.

"Tsk, tsk," NeoMyotismon grinned, shaking his head. "You'll have to try better than that." Spinning on his horizontal axis, he slashed upward, raking his claws over the giant's eyes and causing him to roar in pain. "I'm not done, yet! Doom Cannon!"

The volcanic dragon was fired at from point blank so it was no surprise that he was blasted away and skidded across the ground, practically gliding. The only surprise was the fact that Kiriha had even reloaded this beast in the first place seeing as he had only brought out Cyberdramon and Deckerdramon earlier. But that just meant fewer enemies for Gravimon to fight.

Speaking of enemies, he could hear one whistling down towards him from above. Rhihimon circled back around with the black bullets following closely behind. Right before colliding into the Dark General, he swerved, arcing upwards.

"It's no use," NeoMyotismon laughed. "Those pellets will follow–." One by one, each black ball of condensed energy hit him square on the face, exploding.

"Actually," Rhihimon huffed, "those are mine. But I'm not done yet!" The eyes on the lion-head mask glowed. "Red Cross!"

NeoMyotismon stumbled backwards before getting hit on the back of the neck by a pair of crimson laser beams. Landing right behind the taller Digimon, the Warrior of Darkness did a flying spin kick on the enemy's back, causing him to hit the ground. Once he was immobilized, Deckerdramon got back into position with Cyberdramon's help.

"Crocodile Cannons!"

"Eraser Claw!"

Rhihimon moved out of the way just as a huge explosion rang out behind him, producing a massive dust cloud that enveloped the area. As soon as it cleared, the Warrior knew that the remaining data would reconfigure quickly, so splaying out his palm in that direction, he began manipulating some tendrils of shadow to mess with the regeneration process. However, as soon as NeoMyotismon took shape, the shadows melded in with his form.

"What?" Rhihimon gasped. "How did…?"

Licking his lips and wiping away at his mouth like he just had a delicious snack, NeoMyotismon gave a smug look towards the humanoid Digimon. "You're mistaken if you think that being the Legendary Warrior of Darkness gives you complete control of the element."

Flicking his wrist, more tendrils appeared except they were coming to cut into Rhihimon. The Warrior of Darkness quickly deflected the flurry of thrusts using his staff but while that kept him occupied, NeoMyotismon turned his attention on Kiriha's other two partners. More anti-aircraft missiles and energy blasts had been shot in his direction.

"Too slow," NeoMyotismon chuckled.

His wings splayed out and he flew into the fray, maneuvering past the ammunition with grace. But instead of striking down the pair, he back flipped into the sky. The moon on his chest had taken on a rather ethereal blue glow.

"It's full," Deckerdramon gasped. "Cyberdramon! Get out of here!"

"Doom Cannon!"

Cyberdramon dashed out of range just as Deckerdramon got caught up in the cannon fire. The cybernetic Digimon had no time to prepare a counterattack as he found his feet and arms locked in place by a bunch of black tentacles. Snapping at his restraints, he could see NeoMyotismon rush towards him in his periphery.

"Glutton Fang!"

To NeoMyotismon's surprise, his foe's ribcage pierced out of his chest, puncturing at least seven distinct holes into the vampire's torso. The Dark General looked down at his data, slowly breaking apart, before he looked back up at Cyberdramon who was breaking free from the shadows using his tail. As soon as he could move his legs, the first thing he did was drop kick NeoMyotismon.

"Not bad," NeoMyotismon huffed as his wounds stitched themselves closed. "I underestimated your cognitive abilities."

"You've underestimated me as well!" Rhihimon called out. The surrounding area seemed to shift in and out of existence as the ground vanished for a few seconds and the trees uprooted themselves. Pointing his staff at the enemy, he let loose a powerful beam of dark energy. "Black Theorem!"

While that was happening from behind, Cyberdramon was concentrating energy into his spear, causing immense pressure to shake the very earth he stood upon. Reeling back, the area seemed to darken around him as he flung it straight for the place where NeoDevimon's heart would be. "Eraser Claw!"

The attacks closed in on NeoMyotismon before he was even fully healed. So when they collided, a dome of destruction blossomed where he stood just moments ago. But there was no time to waste. Volcdramon just finished gathering thick vines from the forest, dropping them at Rhihimon's feet who immediately grabbed one end and started flying around the already gathering mass of data particles that was NeoMyotismon.

Cyberdramon exhaled before releasing a guttural growl as if to express his exhaustion. Taking off, he grabbed onto the other end of the vine before circling around NeoMyotismon as well. The Dark General was fully regenerated by the time he found himself trapped in a tight coil. It kept him bound and since it was done before he was fully reconfigured, some of it got embedded into his skin.

"Tch," NeoDevimon grunted, falling onto his side. "I never thought that I could get done in like this."

Rhihimon was trying to catch his breath as he looked around. The ground shook as Volcdramon fell back to his knees, fatigue setting in. Deckerdramon was in far worse shape as various parts of his body crackled like a television set with a bad signal.

"Cyberdramon, tend to Deckerdramon's injuries," Rhihimon ordered. "I'll watch over NeoMyotismon."

NeoMyotismon chuckled as the dragon nodded and drifted off. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

The fused spirits looked down at the captive. "I've analyzed your movements and fighting style. Even if you do break out of those vines which I'm sure you're capable of, I have at least three different predictions planned out in my head of what you'll do next. As well as countermeasures, of course."

"Ah, yes," NeoMyotismon laughed. "Kurosaki warned us about his students. He said you were the most intelligent but not the most dangerous."

"What does that mean?"

Like Rhihimon predicted, the vampire's restraints snapped but without waiting for the cuts to heal, NeoMyotismon lunged forward. Every prediction involved the enemy getting his footing back. Or at least taking to the skies. Just putting some distance between himself as the Legendary Warrior. Instead, he moved like a snake and sank his fangs deep into Rhihimon's ankle.

With a shout, the Warrior fell backwards and mid-fall, NeoMyotismon latched onto his other ankle with tightly clenched claw. Using the momentum from that twist, he got back onto his feet and tossed Rhihimon up just a bit before slamming the Warrior back into the ground with the claws of his other hand. Underneath his palm was the heavily breathing, dirt-covered Kouichi.

"Damn it," Kouichi coughed.

"The most dangerous are crafty _and_ unpredictable," NeoMyotismon explained. Grabbing the long strands of dark blue hair in his fingers, he pulled up the teenager, placing a sharp claw against his Adam's apple. "All smarts gets you is the most logical paths. Isn't that right?"

Kouichi could feel his breath in his chest, scared to let it out lest the claw puncture his neck no matter how unlikely the situation. Ironic. While this guy tells the human that he has a rational mind, only senseless thoughts ran through his head. It's not like he's never felt fear before. But then again, it's not every day that one would get this close to death.

"I let down my guard… that's all," Kouichi groaned.

"And that's all it takes," NeoMyotismon chuckled.

Over the enemy's shoulder, Kouichi could see Deckerdramon and Cyberdramon hesitantly stepping closer but there was no sneaking up the opponent here. NeoMyotison's full attention may seem like it's on Kouichi but he had his ears focused on the rest of the field. The one thing he couldn't observe was the goddess taking center stage in the heavens.

The Warrior of Darkness could feel his hair tearing from his scalp. "If you're so knowledgeable about battling well… then you should know… that fights themselves are unpredictable…"

"Hm?"

Even the boy couldn't predict what would happen next as day turned to night and a full moon shone brightly against the midnight canvas. When the area was alight in the lunar glow, the fields became filled with tortured shouts. Kouichi had this feeling that he was dropped to the damp grass yet the only thing that were filling his senses were the spiders crawling on the other side of his skin.

It was over soon enough. Kouichi had no time to reorganize his thoughts as the tall figure looming over him struck down. But if there was one thing the human body had evolved to do, it was avoid danger. And Kouichi's heightened sixth sense could feel the malice and bloodlust coming from this Digimon easily as he instinctively rolled out of the way of the claw.

Deckerdramon, being one of Kiriha's main supports, immediately assumed the role of the leader as soon as he regained his senses. Stepping forward, he made commands to his allies. Cyberdramon responded with a nod before zipping forward, snatching Kouichi and pulling him out of harm's way. Volcdramon made the next move by releasing a toxic ash cloud that made it difficult for NeoMyotismon to see or breathe.

"Thanks," Kouichi coughed.

"Cyberdramon, Volcdramon, hit him while he's down!" Deckerdramon bellowed. The gun ports on his back clicked open. "Crocodile Cannons!"

"Eraser Claw!"

"Volcanic Fount!"

This wasn't going to work. Even if every single one of their attacks hit dead on, NeoMyotismon would still regenerate soon afterwards. The best course of action was to make a tactical retreat, maybe go help Kiriha since he was left with only ZekeGreymon for a heavy hitter against a Dark General that was supposedly even stronger than this demon.

"We should get out of here," Kouichi muttered. "Before he comes back."

"We might end up leading him right back to Kiriha," Deckerdramon pointed out.

The boy nodded, noting the possibility. "But maybe Kiriha knows a better way of taking this guy down. My shadows have no effect, after all."

Their bickering ended up wasting their chance as the cloud cleared away and NeoMyotismon stood there, completely undamaged. Either the regeneration process was getting faster or he was simply able to avoid getting any direct hits while hidden inside the cloud. Both were extremely worrying possibilities.

"How reckless," NeoMyotismon scoffed. "My healing is directly connected to your own ally's life force. Do you really want to continue shortening it this way?"

Kouichi had sensed it earlier. The presence of a certain friend of theirs. Her consciousness seemed to be locked away though so it was likely that she was under enemy control. Hopefully, Yolei and Silphymon were enough to incapacitate her. The best-case scenario was that they freed her from the brainwashing.

"Stalling," Kouichi resolved. "We have to keep him occupied until Yolei defeats Antylamon."

NeoMyotismon slowly raised his hand as if he was viewing a crystal ball cupped in his fingers. But judging from the direction his eyes gleamed, it was clear that he was staring right through Kouichi. "I've decided… I want to see that pretty human face contorted into something hideous." Twisting his wrist so that his palm faced away from him, his grin widened to a sickening length. "Nightmare Leeches!"

"Look out!" Deckerdramon called out.

The mechanical croc got in the way of the leeches but they stuck onto his side, sucking out his life force. Falling down to one knee, he let out a creak that sounded like an eerie moan. Cyberdramon began tearing away at the demonic bloodsuckers as quickly as possible while Kouichi prepared to evolve once more.

"Execute Spirit Evolution… JagerLowemon!"

"Oh?" NeoMyotismon grinned. "Have I weakened you that much?"

Taking a running start, the quadruped shot forward at top speed before leaping into the air and covering himself in a data cocoon. Usually, this wouldn't bother NeoMyotismon, but the fact that it was happening so close to his face was an issue. The slide evolution was actually incredibly bright, blinding his eyes and even more so being a creature of the dark.

As Lowemon, he landed on the ground behind the vampire and swept his legs out from under him with a low kick. Once the enemy was down, spinning the staff around, Lowemon stabbed his weapon right through NeoMyotismon's stomach with as much force as possible, driving it into the earth. With the staff wedged there, it was impossible for NeoMyotismon to just heal the wound over.

"Is this what you meant by unpredictable?" said Lowemon.

Holding up some metal in one gloved hand, he bent it until it was in a U shape before using them as cuffs to hold down NeoMyotismon's hands. He made sure that they would hold in place so that the undead would be unable to remove the staff pinning him down. And just in case, the legs were also pinned down as well.

NeoMyotismon had to admit, even he was impressed. "Where did you even get the metal?"

"Residue from the previous attack," Lowemon explained. "The metal came from Deckerdramon and I was able to heat it up enough to make them much more malleable by using some magma rocks left behind by Volcdramon."

"How resourceful."

"I believe one of the keys to winning a fight is taking advantage of anything and everything," said Lowemon.

"Heh," NeoMyotismon stated. "I've lost. And in more ways than one."

As it would turn out, Yolei had defeated Antylamon just two seconds after. Because of the sudden departure of the Deva, the Dark General no longer had a source for regeneration. He would've just left on his own. But it would appear that he had become a war prisoner.

Once Lowemon finished, he returned to just being Kouichi. Fatigue had settled in and he collapsed, but he still had the energy to talk at the very least. "Deckerdramon… You okay?"

"Not going to lie," Deckerdramon groaned. "I've had better days."

The exhaustion was apparent in their heavy breathing and bare minimal movement. The best they could do was stare blankly into the distance, trying to calm their erratic heartbeats. No one spoke, no one moved, the only sounds were their trembling inhalations and ragged exhalations.

"How disappointing," a voice said, sending chills down everyone's spines. "I didn't think you would lose, NeoMyotismon."

With a burst of laughter, NeoDevimon stared directly into the sun. "Yeah, well, I would've been forced to retreat anyway. You should've done a better job at protecting Antylamon."

"The female Chosen Child is exactly the type of person you loathe," the voice responded. Everyone else was whipping their heads around, trying to pinpoint the owner. "Crafty and unpredictable. I was surprised. I hadn't expected her to be so tough."

"Just like that wretched Red General," NeoMyotismon coughed.

It wasn't difficult to fill in the missing pieces of this puzzle. They were referring to Yolei and Taiki. In a way, their battling styles were certainly similar. They would calculate various methods to victory but not all of them would be rational or logical. Sometimes, they teetered on the brink of absurdity.

"Kouichi!"

Turning his head, he saw Yolei running towards him with Silphymon flying overhead. "Hey, glad to see you're alright."

"NeoMyotismon?" the bespectacled teenager blinked when she saw the restrained Dark General. "I thought you guys were… Where's Kiriha?"

"Exactly where you might think," Kouichi replied. "Fighting Gravimon on his own. You should go help him before he gets into trouble."

Yolei was about to nod when she noticed their captive sinking into a black hole that appeared in the ground while she was conversing with the younger DigiDestined. Before she could utter another syllable, he was gone. With Antylamon already out of the picture, they could've finally destroyed the vampire to end his reign of terror. But it seemed they would have to wait another day for that chance.

 **December 25: Shibuya – 1:31 PM**

Several construction firms were rebuilding the district now that they had cleared away some of the rubble. So while workers milled about, trying to make new houses for the currently homeless, volunteers were doing cleanup. If they could salvage anything, they would take it to the lost items station where they would hopefully go back to their rightful owners. If not, they would be donated.

Katsuharu and Teppei both volunteered to help out since they were on the stronger side. They knew that their parents were terrified out of their minds since the explosion had happened in their own neighborhood. So it took a good hour to convince them that they would be okay. Unfortunately, they still don't know about their kids' involvement with the Digital World from three years ago.

"Protestors," Teppei remarked.

Katsuharu was holding a large chunk of cement in his arms when he heard the loud chanting. People paraded right outside the ruins holding picket signs. They were trying to use this incident as a reason for why Digimon should be completely eradicated. As the taller boy listened, it took all the willpower he had to resist hurling the rock at them.

"Ignore them," said Katsuharu. "We should focus on our job."

Teppei nodded, adjusting his glasses and accidentally smudging the lens. "I want to protect them."

"Who?"

"The Digimon," he clarified. "Angemon protected us despite the fact that we always ignored his warnings. He didn't even have any obligation to. And because of us…" Teppei furiously shook his head before turning his back on his best friend. "Yet we always bullied Tommy. Just like humans, only some Digimon are bad. Why can't they understand that?"

The answer was obvious. People reject what they cannot understand, sometimes fearing it or looking at it with disgust as a whole.

The best way Katsuharu could explain it was using a flimsy analogy with anime. Some people saw it as misogynistic or they simply don't like the art style. They try to take something with so many genres and sub-plots and creative elements and try to sum it up in a few words. Just like with humans and Digimon, that's impossible. There are so many different types and if you're only exposed to what the mainstream shows you, you'll only get a portion of the complete story.

"Let's get hot pot after this," Katsuharu decided. "With Teruo and Chiaki. I know a great place in Ikebukuro."

Teppei didn't answer, he just knelt down in front something he had unearthed. It was a tattered Koromon plush, based on the Digimon television show. There was certainly something ironic about the fact that it was here.

"It can still be fixed," muttered the brunet.

"Will the other workers even let us turn it in?" Katsuharu wondered aloud. "They might put it in the burnable pile."

The other boy lifted the doll up. "Teruo knows how to sew, right? I can ask him to repair it. And then we can gift wrap it and put it in the toy drive! They're volunteering there, right?"

Teppei was treating this thing like a stray animal that needed a loving home to go to. Katsuharu could understand the sentiment but there was no telling where it would go. In all likelihood, it would go to someone who recently lost their home or even a loved one in a Digimon attack. A hysterical mother, an enraged father, anyone in the family could just grab the doll by the ears and tear it in two. And even if Teppei wouldn't know, there was something inherently morose about such a scene.

"Why don't you keep it for yourself?" Katsuharu suggested.

"But…," Teppei interjected, "this probably belonged to someone else."

Katsuharu leaned in close to his friend, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "And if they really missed or loved it, they'll probably just get another."

Some dissenters were actually taking Digimon merchandise, games, and toys right off the shelves and burning them in the streets. They both knew that. But some stores continued to sell things related to Digimon because they, like them, knew about the kind Digimon.

"My dad wouldn't like it," Teppei pointed out.

"Your dad doesn't like _me_ ," Katsuharu laughed. He paused before taking a deep breath. "If it's important to you… Keep it."

Teppei didn't say anything for a while but then he stood and walked over to the rest stations where volunteers could take a break. Sitting down on the wooden bench, he grabbed his bag, gave one last look to the stuffed Koromon, and then tenderly placed it inside. Katsuharu smiled to himself and before long, they were both getting back to work.

"Oh, and one more thing," said Katsuharu. "We'll definitely protect the Digimon. Even if we're not like Takuya and the others, we're doing our part here."

The other boy smiled. "Yeah. You're right."

 **December 25: Worm Line – 1:32 PM**

How many times had Kiriha come face to face with Gravimon? Four? Five times? And each fight, the Dark General somehow became more and more of a nuisance. Like trying to get rid of a cockroach. Even after crushing it, it still leaves a nasty stain on the floor as if to taunt you until you wipe it off. That's exactly what Gravimon was. Three years ago, a cockroach, and today, an ever present stain.

The Dark General cocked his head to the side. "I can just tell from the look on your face that I'm annoying you."

ZekeGreymon stood on guard as Kiriha dusted himself off from the sideways gravity trip. "Yeah… You are."

"Good!" Gravimon giggled. "Mission success!"

How annoying. Kiriha wasn't sure what kind of help Sayo provided him with before focusing on Henry but he wasn't sure if he was going to use it just yet. Not until they were really in a pinch. But the problem was that he didn't have many other dependable Digimon to aid his partner.

"No choice but to try at least," he muttered. "ZekeGreymon, don't go all out just yet. Focus on evasion and when you see him hesitate, it'll likely mean that Yolei was able to destroy his core. Once that's done, I'll use Sayo's other partner to help us out and we can finally put an end to Gravimon."

The enemy still looked at them with a rather, childish curiosity. "Are you done with your little – and I do mean _little_ – team huddle?"

Kiriha grinded his teeth. "This guy really knows how to get on my nerves."

ZekeGreymon charged forward, slashing with his golden claw but as expected, Gravimon pushed him back without even having to touch him. As soon as the dragon was out of the gravitational field however, he released a high-power energy shell at the enemy. Of course, Gravimon easily pushed that back as well but ZekeGreymon had already jumped backwards, letting the missile explode and shroud him in smoke.

"Using your own attack to conceal yourself?" Gravimon chuckled. "How innovative."

Since the Dark General didn't know where his opponent would reappear specifically, he decided to be on the safe side. Spreading his arms out wide, he increased the gravity around him by at least tenfold. But there was no sound of a struggle or crash so it didn't seem like it affected ZekeGreymon.

Kiriha smirked, raising a finger to the sky. "That first charge… was to test your range."

ZekeGreymon revealed himself in the sky and he entered the field with his claw glowing brightly. "Trident Claw!"

Using the increased gravity to his advantage, ZekeGreymon accelerated at an enormous rate towards Gravimon. It happened so fast that the Dark General was unable to change the gravity in time before he was torn clean through into four even shreds. Of course, the drop managed to damage the attacker as well but it was still a success.

"Bound him!" Kiriha commanded.

ZekeGreymon split into his two base components, Greymon and MailBirdramon, so that when Gravimon reformed, they each grabbed four tentacles, an arm, and a leg to restrict his movement. That was the best they could do at the moment. But of course, Gravimon wasn't going to lose because of this and it was proven true when the pair were suddenly blown away.

"He can still control gravity even with all limbs tied down?" MailBirdramon grunted.

"Should've expected it from him," Greymon snarled. "Let's attack again so we can combine again!"

"Plasma Cannons!"

"Mega Flame!"

Gravimon grinned as the attacks came flying towards him. As soon as they were as close to his body as possible without exploding, he splayed out his tentacles. To him, in slow-motion, both blasts moved around him before continuing on their course of trajectory so that they struck each other by accident.

Kiriha clicked his tongue in frustration. "That gravity manipulation is one problem and regeneration is another. How do we deal with both?"

From behind Gravimon, the ground cracked open as Dracomon broke through the crust. But the miniscule dragon quickly scurried over to the side to let a heavy hitter burst through, both fists raised over his head. It was Golemon, one of Kiriha's lesser used partners.

"Rock Punch!"

While that was happening, from the front, Korikakumon appeared though not exactly the Warrior of Ice. Again, this was another one of Kiriha's partners. A true powerhouse but one who simply couldn't match up with the main four forces. Still, in a time such as this one, it's necessary to pull out all the stops.

"Avalanche Axes!"

Gravimon suddenly shot upwards by reversing gravity on his own body. Golemon ended up landing with a thud before getting two blades embedded into his arms and tipping backwards, crashing in a dusty heap. As Korikakumon apologized to his comrade, he was left defenseless as Gravimon elastically extended his arms to surround the ape.

"High Gravity Grip!"

Kiriha flinched when he heard his partners scream out. Quickly, he pulled out his X-Loader and returned the pair before releasing someone else. "Ranamon Reload!"

"I'll take care of this, honey!" the not-Warrior of Water snapped. "Draining Rain!"

"Is that all?" Gravimon chuckled before positioning himself as if he was holding an umbrella. The acidic water droplets didn't even touch him as they changed course and dropped down around him. "Now Kiriha, I had hoped that you would have better partners than these."

Ranamon grit her teeth before running forward. "Why, you!"

"No, don't!" Kiriha shouted.

But it was too late as the humanoid Digimon tried to perform a twist kick on the enemy but was driven into the ground instead by a massive increase in gravity. MailBirdramon and Greymon tried to help out but they were compressed as well after taking one step forward. Even Kiriha was starting to feel the pressure yet he knew he was standing outside of the Dark General's range. But he had the strength to take them all back.

"Hm? Out of partners already?" Gravimon smirked.

Dracomon popped out of the ground beside Kiriha. "What are we going to do now?" If only he could super evolve like MetalGreymon. "I… If only I could fight…"

Kiriha racked his brain for any other options. It's not like he was out of Digimon to use but seeing as five of his stronger forces were all taken down so easily, it didn't seem likely that any of his remaining soldiers would be able to do much. The most he could do was swear extensively in his head as Gravimon moved towards him, taking his time as if he knew victory was assured. The small dragon Digimon stood in front of the human, as if he made a decent barricade between them yet knowing that he would deleted on the spot if Gravimon so much as blinked.

Deleted?

The image of being chased by a stampede of dinosaurs and dragons flashed through Dracomon's head. But they didn't belong to Dorbickmon's army. So where were these memories from?

" _From today onwards, we're brothers!"_

"Brothers?" Dracomon whispered.

Kiriha didn't hear the little guy. Instead, another voice reached his ears. It was silky smooth, gentle, and definitely belonged to a woman. His eyes darted left and right before landing on his blue digivice, clenched tightly in his fist.

"Who are you?" he asked.

She giggled. "Sayo's other partner, remember? I don't like fighting much but I also don't like seeing so many Digimon come in here hurt. Let me help."

"I don't even know who you are. And what if something terrible happens to you?" He couldn't live with himself if he let someone else's partner die.

"You underestimate me. Don't you know you can't underestimate a god?"

"What?"

Everyone in the area was suddenly bathed in a warm white light and when it faded away, a massive woman stood in front of the boy. She was human in appearance, smooth porcelain skin and long blonde hair, tied and twisted yet still reached her feet. A white cloth was wrapped around her golden locks, her eyes, and her body. A dove was perched in one hand and a scallop in the other.

"Aren't you a cutie," she giggled, kneeling down a rubbing the top of Dracomon's head.

The dragon suddenly felt at peace, perfectly content to just take a nap right there. "Thank you… You're… very pretty…"

Kiriha didn't know who this person was. But she stood about twice as tall as he did, about Mervamon's height actually. Now that he thought about it, Mervamon was supposedly one half of a member of the Olympos XII, right? Did that mean that Sayo had _two_ goddesses on her team? Wasn't that Koh guy the same?

"V-Venusmon?!" Gravimon gasped. "No one said that you were partnered with a Chosen!"

The woman held her hand to her mouth, letting out a laugh that seemed to melt Kiriha's brain. There was something enchanting about her voice but she hadn't even done anything yet. Just how powerful were these Olympians?

 **Digital Analyzer** : Venusmon is a member of the Olympos XII and the digital goddess of love. Since she is a being filled with compassion, her fighting style involves pacifying the enemy rather than doing actual physical damage to them. Her pure soul allows beautiful flowers to bloom wherever she walks and is supposedly followed by parades of swooning Digimon. To let them live normal lives, she blindfolds herself to prevent from gathering more entranced followers. Olive the dove and Hotan the scallop are her loyal companions who keep her company.

"Miss Venusmon does not like violence," Olive chirped, sounding rather posh and condescending. "So Sayo has never let her out before."

The scallop joined in with a surprisingly deep voice. "All fighting is reserved for Miss Dianamon. This is the first time Miss Venusmon has directly left a digivice in years. So of course you curs wouldn't know where she was!"

"I am surprised though," Venusmon sighed, placing a hand on her cheek and shaking her head. Her hair seemed to move like gentle, mesmerizing waves as she did this. "To think that there would come a day when the gods would be targeted this way. My, oh my, how horrid."

Unlike Dianamon, this goddess wasn't expelling immense pressure, rather, it was quite the opposite. It felt pleasant standing so close to her. Kari had reported that Zamielmon gave up on fighting them when Minervamon appeared and threatened him with an infamous tantrum. Did that mean the Olympians were far stronger than the Dark Generals? Though that didn't mean they weren't unstoppable seeing as Apollomon technically fell under both categories.

"Heh, who cares if you are a god?" Gravimon smirked. "I can still beat you! And I have regeneration on my side! I'm unkillable!"

Venusmon reeled back in shock. "Kill? I could never do such a thing. There is only one thing I want to do."

"Don't look down on me! High Gravity–! "

"Love You!"

Venusmon blew a kiss that took the physical shape of a bright pink heart that expanded in size. As soon as Gravimon's extended hands touched it, it burst like a bubble, spraying some incandescent liquid substance all over him. Whatever it was, it caused him to recoil as if electrocuted and in the time it took for him to recover, Olive had landed on his head.

"This is a gift from Miss Venusmon," said the avian. "Be grateful."

Venusmon twirled once before spreading out her arms as if intending to embrace the enemy. "Peace Fantasia!"

Olive pricked the top of Gravimon's head and the world seemed to tilt, or more accurately, straighten itself out. Kiriha no longer felt the bloodlust coming from the Dark General. Strangely enough, Gravimon just collapsed with a goofy smile on his face as he stared up at the clouds.

"Hm?" Venusmon uttered. "It seems my attack interfered with Diana-chan's." She shrugged, a playful grin on her glossy lips. "Well, I guess that's a good thing. Her lunar light might seem pretty but it's very dangerous. I keep telling her not to use it."

Kiriha was stunned, standing stock still as he stared at the uncharacteristic way Gravimon was behaving. "Hold on, if you could take him down so easily, why didn't you come out earlier?"

Hotan flipped out of Venusmon's hand and floated right in front Kiriha's face, opening and closing like a puppet's mouth making a speech. His deep, booming voice invading the human's eardrums. "How dare you speak to a lady in such a manner! I should have you taken to the gallows!"

"Hotan, that is enough," said Venusmon, gently taking Hotan back. "And it _is_ a reasonable question. You see, I do not like violence so I tend to stay out of fights unless absolutely necessary. And besides, had you not drained him of some energy, Olive's attack wouldn't have been as effective. I estimate that it'll wear off in about twenty minutes."

It was obvious that it wasn't a permanent fix to their problems because if it was, they would have no problem taking down the Demon Lords. And considering how strong they were, it was likely that Venusmon's attacks would have a much shorter effect. So that meant they should take advantage of this moment.

"Let's destroy him before he wakes up," said Kiriha.

"Wait!" Gravimon suddenly shouted, alarmed. In a defensive position, the teenager was prepared to fight back when he realized that their foe was covering his head with his hands, scrunched up in a ball, and trembling. "Please don't hurt me…"

"I implore you to spare his life," said Venusmon. "He is no threat like this."

Of course Kiriha knew that, but in less than twenty minutes, he would be. "We can't just leave him alone. If we do, he'll just hurt more innocent Digimon."

"Well, then," Venusmon hummed. A broad smile appeared on her face as she raised a dainty finger as if she got the most brilliant idea. "Why not make him your partner?"

"Eh?"

The blue X-Loader actually shook violently as five different voices yelled, "That's preposterous!" or some variation of the exclamation.

"How dare you speak to our lady in such a manner!" Hotan replied, just as angrily.

Kiriha had to admit, it was a rather ludicrous idea. Had it been just three years ago, he would've gone ahead with taking Gravimon's life. But at the moment, the Dark General just looked so pitiful. Even so, would Taiki be as naive as to let this guy live? Then again…

"It's better than letting him regenerate. We have no idea if the core has been destroyed or how long it will take if it hasn't," Kiriha sighed, much to the stunned shock of his partners and the delight of the goddess. "Gravimon, I'll let you off the hook on the condition that you become a part of my army. Will that be acceptable for you?"

"Oh, yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank…"

It was disturbing to see this guy act this way. So without even looking at him, Kiriha let Gravimon into his X-Loader. It seemed the effect of Olive's peck wore off as soon as he was inside because a holographic image appeared of him soon after.

"I will never be able live down the humiliation!" Gravimon cried out. "Kiriha Aonuma, I will be sure to crush you next time."

Just because a Digimon became a part of your army, did not necessarily mean that they would listen to you. But unless they were reloaded into a physical form, they couldn't really do much. It was possible for Gravimon to leave of his own accord but the Monster Makers had made a discovery when researching the captured Digimon in the human world.

Dorbickmon, Splashmon, Tactimon, Blastmon, and Laylamon were much more peaceful compared to when they were under the command of the Demon Lords. It would appear that most of their actions were performed out of fear for their lives since they were embedded with a line of code that could torture them for years. Entering the digivice not only got rid of that code, but it also sedated the more rowdy Digimon.

"You won't be doing anything of the sort!" Greymon growled.

MailBirdramon chimed in as well. "Not while we're here."

Gravimon scoffed. "Do you really think either of you stand a chance against me?"

The goddess was crouching down and smiling pleasantly as she watched the three tiny, transparent Digimon argue with each other. "They get along so well already!"

"We do not!"

Even Kiriha had to admit, there was something entertaining in the way they fought like sixth graders in the park. He knew for a fact that Gravimon would be uncooperative and petty but at the same time, he liked to make his own rules. So who knows, maybe he'll actually spring into action when face to face with an enemy that Kiriha can't defeat just to prove he's a better strategist or something.

With a sigh, the boy turned in the direction of the train tracks. "Let's regroup with everyone else." A pause. "Dracomon?"

"Huh? Oh, right," the Rookie nodded. "Right behind you!"

The blond didn't even ponder on the fact that the tiny dragon had been blankly staring into space. He just figured that this whole situation was processing through his head. It made sense seeing as a Dark General once made his life a living hell.

Everyone reconvened at the train tracks and while they were exchanging information and asking if they were okay, they were following down the line. They didn't know if another Trailmon would come and pick them up or if there were any still running in the first place. All they knew was that they had wasted enough time already and they had to make it to the Castle Town. It was only after ten minutes that Henry, who was being carried by Ken, stirred from his sleep.

"I'm sorry… everyone," he murmured. "I am so, so sorry."

Sayo didn't mince words. "You do it again and I won't hesitate to kill you."

"...I'd prefer it that way," said Henry.

It wasn't like Gravimon was around to do anything but it felt as if weight had increased on everyone's shoulders. Ken could feel his classmate quaking and something lukewarm dripping onto his shirt, soaking through the cloth and onto his shoulder blades. The day had been hard on all of them. Was it possible for it to get worse?

-X-

 **The Dark Generals were taken down but it was no easy feat. It took everything that Kouichi had and more while Kiriha only won thanks to some godly assistance. Regeneration is certainly a problem that they had to figure out a way around. Luckily, there's only one Dark General with that capability now. And what about things in the human world? Will the parades against Digimon ever be pacified? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **Oh my god, this chapter is so much better than the last one! The fight scenes are more fleshed out, there's actual character development, and another god has been introduced! I had a lot of fun with this chapter and I do hope you all enjoyed reading it. Thank you for all your continued support and don't forget to leave a review and enjoy the holidays! Have fun, be safe, and I'll (probably) see you guys next year!**


	25. Legendary Connections

**Akari** : Today, we're playing karuta, a traditional Japanese card game played on New Year's. We basically lay out the cards on the floor and the caller, Shoutmon, tells us the one we need to get and we go for it. The one with the most cards by the end, wins.

 **Shoutmon** : That was the plan anyway but…

 **Kouji** : I can't believe you mixed your deck with the karuta cards!

 **Takato** : *Bowing dogeza style* I'm sorry! I'm sorry!

 **Yoshino** : Looks like we have no choice. *Grabs his deck* We'll just play with these! Shoutmon will call out the description and we go for them!

 **Izzy** : But won't the Tamers have an advantage?

 **Henry** : We can just sit this one out if you'd like.

 **Renamon** : Before we start, allow us to explain what kind of deck Takato uses.

 **Terriermon** : Our resident goggle-head depends a lot on powerhouse monsters accompanied with ordinary power boosts. It's mostly composed of dragons like Guilmon and his personal favorite is the Hyper Wing card.

 **Guilmon** : It helps me fly!

 **TK** : Found it! Dragon's Wingbeat, right here! Sounds pretty cool. Knocks away the opposing Digimon right back into the deck.

 **Rika** : Unfortunately, it's useless in real battle. It only works on dragon Digimon and you need wings which Guilmon doesn't have in any of his forms except Gallantmon Crimson Mode. But by then, he's not even a dragon anymore.

 **Ryo** : So he needs to use Hyper Wing first but in a real fight, every second counts. Not to mention, it only blows back the enemy a few feet.

 **Shoutmon** : Next card! This one armors your Digimon in heavy metal, making physical moves near impossible to affect them.

 **Kristy** : Here it is! Formation Beta: Iron Shell! That sounds super useful.

 **Henry** : Well… Not exactly. Even for a muscle-bound Digimon like Growlmon, the armor is too heavy for him to lift. And it doesn't work on Digimon that are already armored like he is in his forms afterwards. We haven't found a single Digimon able to lift it. So in real life, it's another dud.

 **Shoutmon** : This card revives an old party member that was already deleted. It gives them twice the amount of power from before.

 **Takuya** : Got it! Bigger and Better! *Puts his hand down* But that sounds _way_ too good to be true. Let me guess… another dud?

 **Suzie** : Yup. In real life, it literally does nothing.

 **Tai** : Wow Takato, for someone who's ranked in the top 100 Digimon players in the world, you sure do have a lot of terrible cards.

 **Takato** : Sh-shut up! They're useful in the game…

 **Shoutmon** : Next… We hope you guys enjoy today's chapter and have a happy new year!

-X-

 **December 25: Caravan – 9:14 AM**

"One, two. One, two."

The caravan was parked beside a crystal clear lake, ironically hidden in the thick trees surrounded in heavy fog. The sound of a teenage boy's chanting as he stretched out his body could be heard amongst the falling leaves and lightly lapping waters. Nearby, other humans and their digital partners were refilling their canteens and trying to curb their hunger with fish and fruits.

"Takuya," said Risa. "Are you sure it's okay to be moving around so much?"

The brunet reached for the skies before bending over, fingers wrapped around his toes. "Don't worry," he grinned, flashing her an upside down, Kanbara-patented, lopsided grin. "That medicinal ointment that Glare and Ophanimon mixed up did wonders!"

Risa smiled. "That's good to hear."

For the last few days, the teenage girl had been feeling guilty about the whole thing. Had she not followed them, she wouldn't have gotten in Takuya's way. But the other human would remind her that he might not have been able to defeat the Meramon horde as soon as he had. Even worse, he could've lost BurningGreymon's spirit to Darkdramon.

"It's good to see you guys up and active."

Risa turned around from her perch at the oak tree's base, looking up at Glare who seemed to have appeared from out of nowhere. But she knew that he had scaled down the tree her back was against. From day one, it was decided that Yutaka and Risa would sleep in the caravan while the others stood guard. Some would actually sleep in the trees. Needless to say, they, Yutaka and Ross, both reacted rather ungraciously towards the whole ordeal.

Last night, feeling tired of feeling sorry for herself, she decided to broach Glare on how to get a Digimon partner herself. It was never something she considered until coming to this world. Mostly because it sounded terrifying to be a Chosen. But it couldn't be any scarier than it is now.

"You can't just become a Chosen," Glare had replied. "For some of us, we were already connected through our soul. For others, they form a bond and they're gifted with a digivice."

Risa inquired, "What are the chances that I'm already connected to a Digimon?"

The answer was not one she wanted hear. All humans had a partner according to ancient digital lore. But the problem was that some Digimon would reach the end of their life span or get deleted permanently some other way before ever meeting their partner. The same could be said about humans. Oftentimes, one will reach their untimely demise and never get to meet their partner.

It was sad. But noticing that, Ophanimon assured her that since humans and Digimon don't usually know of the other even existing, they usually live happily. Just because they never got to meet their partner, didn't mean they couldn't live out their days in glee.

In a way, that made the Legendary Warriors extremely lucky. The Ancients were connected by soul to ten humans. Even though those humans weren't born yet, they were still able to meet.

Risa had to wonder if this was where the concept of soulmates came from. It didn't have to do with two people who were true loves but partners that would make the other smile no matter what situation they were in. As pleasant as a thought this was, Risa had to wonder if she had missed out on her chance.

"Why the long face?" Takuya asked.

"Hm?" Risa blinked before shaking her head. "Oh, it's nothing, really." She stood up, dusting off her skirt, knowing that there were probably some unpretty grass stains on the back. But honestly, her clothes have suffered worse. Like the burns from being in the Flame Area. It was a good thing that Julia had some spare clothes on her. "I'm going to do some more foraging."

As soon as she was earshot, Glare stepped closer to the younger boy. They had all talked about it. At first, Julia was livid that two people without partners had jumped through the portal. Glare had to say that he was a bit angry as well. There was no need for people not involved to _get_ involved. But each of the Chosen made it clear that they would protect them.

Somehow, Takuya, the one who was lying on his back the whole time, was the most convincing. "If you're going to keep treating our friends like crap, then I'll drag everyone out of the caravan and lead them to the rendezvous point myself."

"Eh?" Yutaka had blinked. "First of all, you can't even sit up and second, you have a horrible sense of direction."

A laugh escaped from Glare's lips as he quickly covered his mouth with a hand. Takuya raised an eyebrow.

"What's so funny?" Takuya asked.

"Just thinking about what you said a few days ago," Glare replied. "You remind me a lot of Robert. And your friend, Yutaka, kind of reminds me of Daisy. A stubborn but passionate leader and a rational voice of reason."

Takuya could hear the tone of admiration that the adult had taken on when he said that so he knew it was a compliment. "Thanks," the boy smirked, before holding out his fist. "But remember, I'm Kanbara Takuya. Which means I do things my way."

"Another thing Robert would've said," Glare sighed, shaking his head. "But you're right. You two are different people. But I'll be putting my life in your hands just as I had in his."

Takuya smiled as the older male bumped his fist. "Then I'll trust my life in yours."

Risa returned to the others near the caravan to ask someone to go with her since it was a group decision that no one should head out alone. It didn't matter how strong they were. Since Yuu had already handed off cooking duty over to Yutaka, he decided to be her bodyguard.

The sound of an electric guitar ringing out caused Yutaka to nearly drop the ladle into the cauldron of boiling soup. The teenager glared back at the golden star holding said instrument in his gloved hands. Strumming it a few more times, the shining Digimon posed and the world seemed to darken as a spotlight fell upon him and only him.

"I…," he began to sing.

"No! No more songs!" Yutaka snapped.

SuperStarmon let out a sigh as he flopped down onto his back. "It's so boring when it's just you…"

"Eh?" Yutaka blinked. Now that the Digimon mentioned it… "Where are Cody and Julia?"

The pair that he mentioned was deeper in the woods, somewhere where no one would be able to hear them talking. Julia, like her star pupil, had been curious about a mysterious Chosen Child though she didn't know whether to feel threatened or not. Cody's secret supposedly wouldn't put them in danger but… it was better to be safe than sorry.

"I took note of your wording," said Julia, stopping. "Your secret won't lead to betrayal… But what _can_ it lead to?"

Cody paused briefly to think about it. "I'm not quite sure. Perhaps the self-destruction of someone I know."

The child seemed to be naturally adept at making vague answers though it seemed pretty clear that he was incapable of lying outright. The things that left his mouth were either blunt or too sincere to be false. So that made quite the confusing character.

"Sakkakumon mentioned a crime that you committed," Julia reminded him.

"...Yes… He did."

The woman crossed her arms. "Would you be willing to tell me the nature of this crime?"

Another pause. And then… "Murder."

Surprise barely registered on Julia's voice when their special communication devices, given out by the chiefs, started blinking. Yuu was calling everyone to meet him a little ways away from the caravan. He and Risa had discovered something.

 **December 25: Temple of Eclipse – 9:26 AM**

"It's like an ancient Mayan pyramid," Yuu breathed.

Everyone stood at the edge of the crater staring at the temple down below. At the base of the structure were two statues, almost as if they were decorative pieces leading to the entrance. One was shaped like the sun while the other was a crescent moon.

Julia stood up from where she was snapping pictures of the place with some high-tech camera. "Glare, isn't this…?"

"If you're getting the same signatures that I am…," Glare replied, staring at the screen on the back of his own camera. "Yeah, I think so."

The group descended into the crater where they cautiously crept inside the temple. The pair of chiefs explained that this place used to be part of their world. But it disappeared when the Digital Worlds all merged back into one.

Takuya brushed his fingers across the intricate patterns on the wall as Cody flicked on his flashlight. "So... what makes this place so special?"

"It's where we found Sunmon's and Moonmon's eggs," Ophanimon explained. "They would later evolve into two members of the Olympos XII."

The scientists of Digital City were still researching the world at the time. They traveled to various continents, issuing jobs with the government to get strong Tamers to travel with them. One day, Glare and Julia noticed a request specifically asking for them, the strongest that City had at the time. So it was obviously an important and difficult mission.

The expedition was to the Temple of Eclipse. It was a rather long and arduous journey to get there but the real challenge was making it to the center. Booby traps that somehow re-engaged once you left, Golemon that prowled the hallways, and hostile statues that magically came to life. At the end of the ordeal, were two stone pedestals. One held a golden egg with a crimson sun on it while the other was silver with an azure moon. The traps deactivated and the monsters went into slumber as soon as there was nothing left to protect.

Yuu had to cough several times to let out the dust he inhaled. "How did the eggs end up with Koh and Sayo?"

"As shocking as it may sound, those two were born at the exact same time," ChaosGallantmon explained, walking up steps. "And the eggs both started glowing warmly as soon as their births were registered into City's files."

Julia took over for her partner as they made it to the top. "We took it as a sign." They stared at the pedestals in the center, crumbling and moldy with time. "And as we bestowed the eggs to the two infants, they giggled happily as the eggs hatched."

"So they were connected by soul," Risa realized.

Glare nodded fondly. "How do you think our scientists figured that out? But none of us could've predicted that they would become gods."

The Digital World, just like Earth, was still full of mysteries to be discovered. Talking about what laid in the deepest oceans and hidden in the mythical forests seemed to excite the chiefs. It was almost amusing to see this side to them.

"The world is fascinating," said Ophanimon. "And that's just one reason to protect it."

Julia smiled, brushing a few strands of hair out of her face. "There are still so many adventures we have yet to take part in."

"And we'll definitely have them," Glare promised.

The two of them were usually so serious. They commanded armies and regulated the laws of Digital City. They protected the citizens and established union quests for their toughest Tamers. But more than anything, they were adventurers. Getting into danger was thrilling, almost getting killed was exhilarating, and making it to your final destination after conquering those trials was the best feeling ever. These two didn't want to let go of that.

"We'll definitely protect the Digital World," Takuya stated.

"Even _I_ want to," Yutaka chuckled. "And I have minimal obligation to."

Risa couldn't agree more. "I see now why Rika was so adamant about protecting this place. The Digital World is to the Chosen as the Earth is to us."

" _Not_ doing something would make us selfish."

"Exactly!"

Yuu placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "Right, but this doesn't mean you two can charge into battle. You guys are smarter than Takuya."

"Hey!"

The group had a good laugh about it before turning back. The Temple reignited their feelings for defending the Digital World, so now, it was time to eat breakfast before it got too cold. Hopefully, SuperStarmon was watching over the pot like they told him but somehow they doubted it.

A stone dropped from the ceiling and clinked against one of the pedestals. The others didn't think anything of it but Glare and Julia suddenly froze. They both pulled out pistols hidden in their belts and pointed them at the ceiling, causing everyone to get into defensive positions. Looking up, they were met with a pair of gleaming, menacing eyes.

"Who's there?" Glare snapped.

"Come out where we can see you," Julia added.

A blur of white and red dropped down to the floor. It remained hidden for a few seconds, as if contemplating whether or not he had been seen. ChaosGallantmon held up his lance and took a few tentative steps forward when a golden burst of fiery energy whizzed past his head and was heading straight for his unprepared partner.

"Julia!" he called out.

Ophanimon got in the way of the blast and erected a wall of light. Unfortunately for her, it wasn't enough to keep it at bay as it struck through and hit directly in the stomach. She doubled over in pain and collapsed into a motionless heap.

Glare and Julia were stunned for just a second before directing their anger at the invisible assailant. They spun their pistols around their fingers, readjusted their aim, and fired together while ChaosGallantmon lunged forward. Everyone else watched as a hidden, humanoid Digimon rolled out of hiding in order to get out of the way of the flying bullets and a smaller figure leapt out from behind the pedestal, kicking off the dark knight's head.

"Gankoomon!" Glare gasped.

"And Hackmon too…," Julia gaped.

"They sound shocked," Risa yelped, peeking out from behind Takuya's shoulder. "Why? What's so important about those two?"

Aside from the human chiefs, all the Digimon were in a state of awe as well. Gankoomon and Hackmon, as it was well known in the Digital World, were two of the strongest Royal Knights. Some would say that these two were on their own level which was probably why they're barely ever seen with the others. But at the same time, all the Royal Knights should've been destroyed by the Demon Lords so…

"How is this possible?" ChaosGallantmon shuddered.

"Yeah," Takuya agreed, stepping forward before pointing a finger at the imposing pair, specifically at Hackmon. "How is the little one a Royal Knight?"

Yuu rolled his eyes and slapped the older boy's head. "That's what you're focusing on?"

 **Digital Analyzer** : Despite only being a Rookie level Digimon, Hackmon is one of the strongest warriors in the Digital World. In order to take his place as a Royal Knight, he sojourned throughout all of cyberspace, taking on several rigorous trials designed to test his strength and willpower by Gankoomon. He has a masterful sense of combat and is easily distinguishable thanks to his shiny white fur and flowing red cape, they say he can hold his own even against an Ultimate.

"Unbelievable," Armadillomon gaped. "That tiny thing doesn't even need to evolve to fight an Ultimate?"

 **Digital Analyzer** : Gankoomon is revered by the denizens of the Digital World, hailed as a hero, recognized in every sky, ocean, and continent. He is quite active in interacting with the physical realm compared to his fellow Knights. And his kindness knows no bounds as he will drop anything and everything to assist a Digimon in need.

"They sound nice," Risa remarked. "Dangerous… But nice."

"Table Flip!"

A chunk of the earth was torn right out of the ground with Gankoomon's tremendous strength. The Chosen Children and their partners all rolled out of the way of the falling block. Well, except for Yutaka and Risa who were kind of yanked out of the way by their athletically gifted comrades. As soon as they were out of danger, they watched and listened as the chunk took on the density of Chrome Digizoid and crushed everything underneath, including the pedestals, flattening it.

"Well," Takuya muttered. "Would you look at that…"

Without wasting another second, the ones that were able, produced their digivices as they filled the room with their glow. Glare, Julia, and ChaosGallantmon kept the enemies at bay with their ranged attacks in the meantime. Gankoomon created a golden offshoot of himself that was used as a shield while Hackmon maneuvered through the bullets and beams like they were going at one meter an hour.

"Armadillomon Digivolve to… Ankylomon! DNA Digivolve to… Shakkoumon!"

"Unity Execute Unified Spirit Evolution… EmperorGreymon!"

"Damemon Super Evolve to… Tsuwamon!"

As soon as their evolutions were complete, Hackmon dashed through and slammed into Shakkoumon. The giant clay doll was shoved backwards, crashing into their one exit and caving in the hall. So that meant they couldn't escape this battle even if they wanted to unless they wanted to risk busting out of the ceiling.

"Tekken Seisai!"

Gankoomon nabbed their attention once more when he unleashed a flurry of punches at ChaosGallantmon. The knight attempted to protect himself using his shield but it only deflected some of the fists. The rest got him directly in the face, arms, and legs. It left him feeling numb in all those places.

"Dragonfire Crossbow!"

The Legendary Warrior fired his flaming arrow, causing Gankoomon to reel back for a moment from his assault. Afterwards, both he and ChaosGallantmon slashed with their blades, causing the Royal Knight to move even further back to avoid their range. But that was where Tsuwamon was waiting, right over his head.

"Digi Ninpou: Furoshiki Wrapping!"

The ninja instantly tied up their opponent in a cloth sack, immobilizing him. He tumbled into the spot between his comrades as the three of them readied their individual weapons.

"Damaging Pierce!"

"Dragon Soul Sword!"

"Mantis Dance!"

The cloth sack inflated a bit before exploding with a loud BANG. Pieces of fabric littered the room as the golden, spirit-like offshoot burst through, beating back all three fighters before their actual opponent dashed past. It was difficult to see but with Glare's and Julia's trained eyes, they were able to witness Gankoomon landing at least three punches each on his enemies before stopping directly behind them.

"He's even faster than I am," Tsuwamon grunted as he skidded across the floor.

"And he punches harder than I ever could," EmperorGreymon added before standing back up. "But we've got to keep going."

ChaosGallantmon nodded, clutching at the injuries on his stomach. "Agreed. We shan't fall here!"

At the speed of light, Tsuwamon took off with the other two following close behind. Gankoomon spun around to face them, just in time to see sickles coming down for his face. Backhanding the attacker out of the way, he was faced with the horizontal arc of a broadsword and the forward thrust of a sharp lance.

Clang!

"Tch," EmperorGreymon scoffed. Both hands were pushing down on his blade but it wouldn't budge no matter how much it trembled, trapped between Gankoomon's fingers. "You've… got to be kidding me! This guy… is tough!"

"To be able to hold back our attacks with his bare hands…," ChaosGallantmon grunted. "Truly a formidable foe."

The Royal Knight didn't speak as he pulled their weapons in opposite directions before slamming his foot into EmperorGreymon's stomach. Without skipping a beat, he slammed his heel down onto the top of ChaosGallantmon's head, sending the paladin downwards. Finally, he pulled down on the broadsword so that it was wedged into the ground before using it to propel himself upwards and drop kicking the fiery warrior in the face. Both fighters crash landed as Gankoomon casually dusted himself off.

"That was so fast," Risa gasped. "I couldn't even see it."

Yutaka swallowed nervously. "And this guy was defeated by the Demon Lords?"

The three forces on their side were trying to get air back into their lungs as Gankoomon slowly approached them. Yutaka and Risa were nervously backing out when they noticed that Ophanimon was nowhere to be seen. That's when Yuu raised his X-Loader up to his face.

"You've figured it out?" Glare asked.

"Hopefully," the General muttered before consulting his digivice. "Ophanimon, have you healed enough?"

The angel's voice traveled out of it. "I think so."

Yuu took a deep breath before making a couple of booming commands, sending beams of yellow lights into the combatants on their side. ChaosGallantmon's armor took on a silver sheen as his cape burst into eight golden wings. A four-pointed star also appeared atop his helmet. EmperorGreymon felt a ribcage enclose around his torso as the rest of his body was enveloped in skeletal armor. Even his weapon.

Lastly, his own partner, Tsuwamon, hunched over, taking on a more reptilian form as feathers poked their way out of the back of his armor. To add to the Xros, a rotating, gatling gun appeared on his wrists as blocks formed around his hands and feet. There appeared to be three Digimon involved in this particular combination.

"ChaosGallantmon! Ophanimon! Digi-Xros!" "SaintGallantmon!"

"EmperorGreymon! SkullGreymon! Digi-Xros!" "EmperorSkullGreymon!"

"Tsuwamon! Allowmon! RookChessmon! Digi-Xros!" "Xros-Up Tsuwamon!"

The upgraded Legendary Warrior raised his broadsword, pointing it at the enemy like it was a firearm. "Dark Dragonfire Crossbow!"

Gankoomon took an involuntary step back as a black, flaming arrow was fired for the center of his chest. The Royal Knight crossed his arms to defend himself but the impact was strong enough to send him sliding into the wall. The negative energy that was produced afterwards also made his knees buckles and his head heavy.

"I figured that would be a good combination," said Yuu. "I remember Takuya saying something about how the king of dragons can get an extra power boost from anyone coming from his direct lineage. So I figured double the Greymon meant double the firepower. And since Gankoomon is a light-attributed Digimon, he'd be weak against darkness. Next part is…"

SaintGallantmon, being a holy Digimon like their opponent, was unable to step into the black mist that surrounded the Royal Knight. But he didn't have to. He split the two-sided lance in two before stabbing the air several times with it. "Chaos Sephiroth!"

Many nine-pointed patterns repeatedly sunk into Gankoomon's skin, causing him to scream out in pain. It was not only at random but they acted as tacks, pinning the enemy to the wall before Tsuwamon stepped forward, sickles in hand.

"Digi Ninpou: Mantis Walls!"

Gankoomon was still unable to move but he became more entrapped when he became boxed in as brick wall after brick wall appeared on all sides. The only opening was a hole, the size of a pinprick, at the top. Tsuwamon hopped up there and bent over, his mouth pointed inside.

"Immobilizing him and keeping him bound," Yuu smirked before turning to the chiefs. "And you guys did a great job identifying his pressure points; Chaos Sephiroth should've hit all of them."

Julia grinned in return. "Well, we can't get shown up by a kid tactician, can we?"

"Digi Ninpou: Ancient Blaze!" Inhaling deeply, Tsuwamon expelled a hot flame into the box.

"That should do it!" Glare huffed.

"Let's hope so," Julia muttered as Tsuwamon finished. "If he can survive being barbecued like that, I don't know how we'd be able to beat him."

Abruptly, from inside the box, Gankoomon's booming voice shook the ruins. "Quake!" The caverns shuddered a few times as everyone tried to maintain their balance before the walls blew off, nearly taking their heads off. "Blast!" Following immediately afterwards was an intense heat wave that singed their hair. "Fire!" Lastly, the golden offshoot shot forward and swung past the three Digimon foes, dealing a decisive blow to each of them in turn. "Father!"

Yuu took his forearm away from his eyes though he found it difficult to breathe in the sauna-like space. "The Xroses! They've all disassembled!"

"What's with this guy?" EmperorGreymon coughed. "Dynasmon was nowhere near as tough as him…"

"That's why Gankoomon is at the god-tier level compared to the other Royal Knights," ChaosGallantmon grunted. "Only half of the Royal Knights fall under that category. Gankoomon, Jesmon, Gallantmon, Examon, Alphamon, and Omnimon. However, the last two are only at this level when they don't hold back and when they're together."

The Legendary Warrior stood up. "I don't know what that means and I don't think I want to." He took a deep breath and inhaled the remaining heat until the room returned to its previous temperature. Much to everyone's surprise. Even some his wounds started healing over. "But it doesn't mean I plan on losing."

"ChaosGallantmon!" Julia called out, running over to her collapsed partner.

"Tsuwamon can't move either," Yuu grimaced. "But I don't like it. There's no way for you to take them on alone, Takuya!"

EmperorGreymon didn't break eye contact with Gankoomon, not even when he returned to his human form. "A Digimon that stands on the same level as the gods." His entire body was engulfed in red-hot flames. "I think I know a guy."

Gankoomon frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "You seem like an interesting fellow. But can you really defeat me by yourself?"

"I'm not by myself," Takuya smirked. He gestured to everyone beside him. "Though it may seem like it, I'm always one of many!" All the fire became concentrated around his hand. "And I have five friends in particular that would give me a ton a flack if I lost here. So let's see you deal with this!" He raised his D-Tector to his fist. "Legendary Execute! Ancient Spirit Evolution…"

Once again, the chamber became hot but it wasn't unbearable. Rather, it was comforting and warm, like they were being covered in a thick, fluffy blanket. They watched as a tower of fire erupted where Takuya stood and as it slowly vanished, a new beast was in his place, one that rivaled Gankoomon in his massive height though overall, he was probably five times as big. The bystanders were up against the wall to keep from getting crushed by him.

The creature stood on four legs plated in the same armor worn by Agunimon. He had the head of a ferocious dragon with terrifying horns to match. A long, lizard-like tail and wings made of fire; this was a beast that could only be described as legendary.

"Impossible…," Glare stared.

Julia looked about as dumbfounded as he did. "But… it really is…"

"AncientGreymon!"

While this battle was going on, Shakkoumon was having his own brand of trouble. It was small, white, wore a red cape, and refused to sit still long enough to get blasted by a Justice Beam. Not to mention Hackmon had some ability to cling to the walls and ceilings like a spider. And it only took just one jump to get from one flat surface to the other.

Cody had tried a few times to catch the speedy dragon with his Japanese sword but it was as if the creature would rebound off the weapon and fly elsewhere. To make matters worse, the boy was receiving multiple cuts all over his body from Hackmon's sharp claws. It was as if he was trying to humiliate the teenage boy by showing just how agile he was.

"Kachina Bombs!" Shakkoumon decided to try a different approach to his assault, firing explosive discs to cover a wider range but still in his enemy's approximate location.

"Hmph," Hackmon scoffed before rebounding from the wall. "That won't be enough. Baby Flame!"

The fireballs he shot out from his mouth detonated the discs long before they hit him. And using the smoke as cover, Shakkoumon no longer knew where to aim.

Cody heard the lightest tap as Hackmon fell down from the dust cloud and onto the floor. The boy had believed that the dragon was going to continue shooting through like a cannonball but that wasn't the case. It was just part of the miniature Royal Knight's ploy.

"He's down–!"

"Teen Ram!"

Hackmon gave him no time to even finish his statement before flying past and butting his head into Shakkoumon's chin. And as he fell, he dug his claws into the Ultimate's stomach, tearing right through with a horrifying screech.

"Shakkoumon!" Cody shouted, seeing the deep gashes in his partner. Sending a glare in Hackmon's direction, he closed the distance between the Rookie and himself in seconds. Raising a hand, he grabbed onto Hackmon's cape before the dragon could hit the ground, making it difficult for him to run around. "Enough!"

"Don't think that you can hold me back like this!" Hackmon snapped. "Fif Slash!"

Cody parried the claws with his sword before slamming the hilt down on the little guy's face. At the same time, he punted Hackmon across the room before throwing his weapon to follow suit. Suddenly, Hackmon found himself pinned to the wall from his cape, the sword acting as a pin.

"That should hold you," Cody huffed. "Shakkoumon!"

Hackmon struggled to try and wriggle himself free but to no avail. "Not good…"

Luckily for him, the damage he had done and the acrobatics he performed were enough to tire out Shakkoumon. The behemoth shrunk down to his In-Training form and tumbled over to Cody's feet. Looking frustrated and pitiful, Upamon rolled into a tight little ball, trying to hide from his partner.

The brunet kneeled down, touching the top of the little one's head. "Upamon?"

Hackmon used his tail to inch his way towards the sword, latching onto it with his sharp claws. He was able yank the blade out of the wall, causing him to fall to the ground. Not even a beat later, he was already dashing out of there when the room shook and heat filled every corner. The pillar of fire caused by Takuya's legendary evolution had opened up a hole in the ceiling which Hackmon used to escape.

"AncientGreymon," Gankoomon chuckled, a bemused grin on his face. "A fight between the two of us would go down in the history books."

The great beast spread his wings, producing a gust of hot air to blow past the humans down below. "Then I hope you're recording this."

The two of them flew through the hole in the ceiling as everyone else tried to figure out their own way out. It was a good thing Glare and Julia had grappling hooks in their bags. But while they made their way back to the outside, the world was trembling as the two powerful fighters clashed.

Gankoomon was forced to use his golden offshoot to defend against the endless streams of fire that attacked from all directions. If that wasn't enough, AncientGreymon would charge in as well and cut into the physical warrior with his claws. The Royal Knight's attention was being split in too many places at once.

The bipedal fighter reached out and grabbed onto AncientGreymon's horns, keeping the dragon from moving around too much. Then he somersaulted off the beast's face. As he flipped back around, he fired several charges of golden energy at the Legendary Warrior, trying to weaken him.

"Weak!" AncientGreymon roared before summoning the energies of the earth to surround him. "Gaia Tornado!" Spinning in a blazing twister, he defended himself from the attack and sucked in the Royal Knight as well. Everyone could only watch as the warrior spun around and around before being spat out, far, far away, until he was just a twinkle in the distance.

"EH?!" everyone else blanched.

Yutaka slapped his forehead. "You're not going to destroy him?"

"Well…," AncientGreymon chuckled awkwardly. "To be honest... I didn't think I would throw him that far…"

Everyone let out a defeated sigh before noticing a white blur taking off after Gankoomon. No doubt that was Hackmon. They supposed it was fine since that meant they weren't in any danger. Well, not from other Digimon anyway. The Temple was shaking so much, they were certain it was about to collapse, so they all got onto AncientGreymon and took off before it crumbled to pieces.

 **December 25: ? – 10:12 AM**

The steady, rhythmic click, click, click of heels on the floor echoed through the cobblestone halls. The Digimon with the false appearance of a human woman was navigating her way through the dark tower, searching. She stopped when she heard someone following her. Flicking her white hair over her shoulder, she spun around and…

"H… Hello… darling," Mummymon swallowed, Arukenimon's foot was just a millimeter away from crushing taking his one visible eye out.

"It's only you," Arukenimon huffed, putting her foot down. "What do you want?"

The other human-like Digimon looked down to the floor, twiddling his thumbs. "Um… Well… You see…"

"Ugh, out with it, already!"

"I was… just hoping… that you'd join…"

Abruptly, Arukenimon lunged forward a slapped a hand over his mouth, putting a finger over her own red-glossed lips. Despite the confusion that Mummymon was feeling, the fact that his love was so close to his face made him blush profusely. His head was spinning so much that he didn't even hear the sound of fluttering fabric that seemed to be getting closer.

"Over here," the spider-lady hissed, pulling him into a dark crevice in the wall.

They silently waited as a humanoid figure cut a corner and stepped into view. Both Ultimates felt as if their breaths had caught in their throats as they saw the man down the hall. Skin as white as snow, slicked back hair, blood-red lips that contrasted with his sparkling white fangs, and a winged mask over his eyes. This man… was both their beginning and their end.

Arukenimon had been searching for his room in this tower, where the Demon Lords had decided to keep him. Why? She wasn't sure. Was it to take revenge on her killer? It couldn't be. He would just be revived again and she would be given a punishment far worse than death.

A voice that was smooth like silk escaped from the murderer's lips. It came out in the form of a laugh. As gentle as it seemed to be, the silk seemed to wrap around the hiding pair's throats and strangle them, robbing them of their air.

"So that traitor is back as well," the man chuckled. "That just makes this game more fun."

"Traitor?" Arukenimon mouthed.

He continued down the hall, flourishing his cape as he walked. "I should really clean up the place. Unsightly spiderwebs and corpses seem to be everywhere." He paused close to the crevice when he said that. "I wonder how long it will take before everything falls into place."

Even though the figure disappeared, Arukenimon and Mummymon just couldn't relax. The former was visibly shaking while the latter was trying his hardest not to fall to his knees. But why did they feel such fear? It's not like their killer was any stronger than them in his current form.

"Let's… Let's get out of here," Arukenimon murmured. Her legs felt like lead. All six of them.

Mummymon nodded numbly. "Right."

As they turned to go, they came face to face with a gleaming eye outside the window. They both let out a scream when they realized that it belonged to a colossal Digimon by the name of VenomMyotismon who laughed raucously when they fell to their butts. But it wasn't possible. They just saw him mere seconds ago!

From behind another glass frame, MaloMyotismon's face looked through, a sickening grin on his nightmarish face. "Do you two know what it feels like to be so deeply feared?" A silver tongue slid across his lips. "It's sweet."

With a laugh, they both vanished into thin air, leaving the Ultimates in their stunned silence. Swallowing the lumps down their throats, they stood back up and left the tower. They had enough fear to last them each a lifetime.

 **December 25: Caravan – 10:23 AM**

As SuperStarmon was being caught up to speed, Takuya was heating up the pot that went cold. They all had some questions of their own. Some were asked in private, where both Glare and Julia were unable to receive the full story from Cody, but thanked him for sharing some of it at the very least. Next, was the question of how Takuya even became the ancient legend.

"You heard Ifrit's voice?" Glare repeated.

Yutaka held up his hands. "Wait a minute! Who is Eefereeto?"

"Ifrit," Julia corrected. "It's the name that AncientGreymon preferred to go by."

Takuya nodded. "I've actually been hearing him for a while. Ever since my fight with Mercurymon, it was like something… unlocked." The brunet crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side, scowling as if the answer was in his stressed facial muscles. "I don't know how I tapped into his power but… it just… happened."

Yuu leaned forward, almost spilling his broth. "Does this mean Kouji and the others can…?"

"Not sure," Takuya shrugged. "But if they can, it'll increase our firepower by a ton! Ifrit's body just has so much potential surging through his veins! Well, I guess they're technically _my_ veins."

"Can you still hear Ifrit's voice?" Cody inquired.

There was a long pause as Takuya closed his eyes. Everything went quiet as everyone moved in closer to see if he was still breathing. There didn't seem to be any movement whatsoever until he unexpectedly opened his eyes, causing everyone to recoil in surprise.

"It's… gone…"

"Eh?!"

Julia shot up from where she was sitting. "What do you mean by 'gone'?"

"I mean, I can't hear it anymore!" Takuya huffed. "Hang on… Maybe one of my other spirits will know what happened. Even Mercurymon might be able to give me some information."

"You can talk to him too?" Cody frowned.

"What if he makes up lies or something," Risa muttered. "I mean, he is a bad guy, right?"

Takuya didn't answer as he took a deep breath, straightened his posture and closed his eyes. They could tell that he had entered a meditative state, one where he couldn't be bothered by outside forces. It was quite impressive for them to witness seeing how jumpy, active, and outspoken he's been over the last few days.

A few seconds of silence passed before his usual slouch returned. Takuya looked up at his friends with an unsure expression on his face.

"AncientGreymon is a part of them," said the Legendary Warrior. "As far as they know, it was them that spoke to me. Mercurymon… he had a different story to tell me."

According to the Warrior of Steel, after the Ancients had defeated Lucemon, their spirits were broken down to their individual components. The human, the beast, and the soul. It was that third thing that could never be found no matter how hard historians and archaeologists searched. And that was because it wasn't in the Digital World. So while the other two began to grow and gain sentience of their own, their original soul drifted into cyberspace.

"It's you," Ophanimon realized.

Takuya nodded. "Apparently, until I was reunited with my spirits and we were in sync with each other, the memories of Ifrit wouldn't come back to me. In other words, the voice that I heard was my own, being played back to me."

There were so many questions that none of them knew which to ask first. How did the soul end up on Earth? Why did it find a host in Takuya? Were they always connected in that way?

Glare had a theory. "Digimon souls and human souls are drawn to each other. Some, more so than others. So it's quite possible that after Takuya was born, Ifrit's soul broke through the barrier due to that compulsion. The same could be said about the other Ancients."

"So… like what happened between the eggs, Koh, and Sayo, right?" Damemon piped up.

The group didn't have much more time to spend dawdling and there was no telling whether or not the Royal Knights would continue chasing them. So it was best to keep moving. As soon as everyone was finished eating, Glare got into the driver's seat and the others clambered into the RV. They'd wasted enough time.

-X-

 **The Chosen Children seem to have learned a lot today, even if it wasn't the full story. Cody committed a crime once before. The Royal Knights are on their tail. The ancient Legendary Warriors live on inside of the human Legendary Warriors. And all three devilish forms of Myotismon exist at once! Though the kids don't know about that one yet. Will the DigiDestined be able to handle it? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **Wow, this team only took one chapter. Well, they are missing quite a few members. I hope you guys enjoyed and guess what, (almost) everyone in the Digital World is going to be reunited in the Kingdom Town next chapter so get excited! Let's get this 2017 party on! Happy New Year, y'all!**


	26. New Year Conversations

**Sora** : Hm? We have a guest review here and it's for Takuya. "How exactly does your enhanced eyesight work? Do you just zoom in to things or…?"

 **Takuya** : Uh… Well, for the most part, everything just looks clearer, in higher definition, and I can pick out small details that ordinary people would miss. Like I can easily count the number of freckles on someone's face or see dry water stains or see the legs on an ant.

 **Zoey** : And he _can_ "zoom in" to things by squinting. It's like having binoculars 24/7.

 **Kristy** : I always thought it was useful, having those kinds of powers. But I'm guessing you guys have had some bad experiences along with them.

 **Shinya** : Oh wait, Tommy, weren't you in a lot of pain that day we were playing dodgeball and you got hit in the stomach? Everyone thought you were super tough for standing up to bullies all the time but then you were just crumpled up on the gym floor for hours!

 **Tommy** : *Blushing profusely* It was five minutes… though I wanted to stay down longer.

 **JP** : I will say that my enhanced taste has done wonders for my cooking. Just tasting something allows me to figure out what the individual ingredients are and how much was put in and what should or shouldn't have been added.

 **Nene** : Really? But wait, wouldn't you have to know what the individual ingredients taste like to figure that out?

 **JP** : *Chuckling nervously* I was a... constantly hungry and overactive child. I'd get into the pantry or the cabinets and eat whatever looked edible.

 **Guilmon** : I used to do that too! But now Takato won't let me…

 **Takato** : Because you ate all the flour and felt sick for the next ten days! Not to mention make the bakery run out of stock super fast.

 **Zero Unit** : Okay, that's enough of the weird… talk… here. Let's talk about something really important!

 **Gatomon** : Oh no… I know what this is about.

 **Zero Unit** : Me!

 **Gatomon** : Shameless self-promotion.

 **Zero Unit** : I made a Tumblr blog not too long ago under the same name, no spaces, so it's "zerounitrgb." It's just a bunch of random fandom stuff and unfortunately, I've only posted one Digimon-related thing. But just check it out if you'd like. Anyway, thank you for your patience, it is now time for you guys to read the newest chapter of… Children of the Future!

 **Gumdramon** : Read and enjoy!

-X-

 **January 1: Katou Family Restaurant - 12:03 AM**

At only eight years old, Katou Masahiko was not yet old enough to help out at his family's restaurant. Especially not on New Year's, when there would be multiple groups clinking their glasses of beer together and merrily cheering for the months to come. Though the place wasn't as packed as it usually was. Probably because there were many that lived in fear of going outside due to the presence of Digimon.

Since there was a distinct lack of customers, aside from drunken group in the corner, the owners decided to start closing up early. A few stragglers stepped inside the venue and one of them waltzed up to the bar to order a few drinks. None were alcoholic though.

Masahiko sat on the other side while his father prepared the drinks. The customer hadn't moved over to join his friends at their table. Rather, he was staring down at the boy doodling on a piece of paper with a green crayon.

"Is that Leomon?" the stranger asked.

Masahiko paused and looked up. Recognizing the patron as Kamiya Tai from the TV. His big sister pointed him out a few times as the Chosen Children spokesperson or something like that. "Uh-huh," the child nodded. "I watched the show too! But big sister said that the Leomon you know is different from her partner."

Tai pulled out a stool and sat down. "Yeah, he is. But they're both brave and strong warriors."

The green crayon slipped from his fingers and clattered beside the paper. "Jeri says they would do anything to protect people important to them. And that that's the kind of person she wanted to grow up to be. But I don't know if I want the same."

"What do you mean?" Tai frowned.

The drinks were delivered to the table though no one felt that thirsty. Matt and Sora were talking normally for the first time since their breakup though there were some strange pauses here and there. It was a good thing Mimi was there to facilitate conversation and bring a lighter atmosphere to the group. Izzy was on his laptop, trying to figure out the location of the kids in the Digital World and Joe was just trying to warm up from the cold outdoors.

"It's scary," Masahiko admitted. "The big monsters on TV."

Sitting at the table closest to the DigiDestined, six Rookie Digimon were fighting over who would get the last dumpling. It only came out two seconds ago, how did they gobble the entire platter so fast? Palmon had it in her vines, but Gomamon snatched it like a sea lion grabbing a treat extra early. Gabumon got it with his horn, but Tentomon plucked it off from there. Finally, it ended up in a tug-o-war between Agumon and Biyomon before tearing in two and falling back onto the plate.

Sure, that was funny and both Masahiko and Tai couldn't help laughing out loud. But the older human couldn't help but notice that the boy's laughter died off fast. After all, those creatures had the power to knock down buildings and gobble a _person_ up in a flash. It must be scary.

Tai took the drawing and flipped it around. The green Leomon standing next to the yellow Jeri. "I get scared too."

"You do?"

"But I'm more terrified of losing my loved ones." Tai turned the page back around. "Your sister probably knows that feeling better than anyone."

"She does?"

The brunet didn't go into too much detail. But he explained that there were two separate times when someone important had disappeared from Jeri's life. For both times, it hurt her deeply, so much that she ended up isolating herself.

It's like being trapped in a dark closet. It's hot because the coats are closing in on you and your throat gets dry because dust is falling onto your tongue. Sweat drips down your forehead and your butt begins to go numb from sitting on the hardwood floor for so long. What can you do?

In Jeri's case, she _chose_ to be in that closet. So instead calling for help, she shrunk into herself. But she still desperately wanted to get out. No one wants to be in that closet for too long. But it's rarely ever easy to get out.

Masahiko tilted his head to the side when Tai paused. "Why not?"

" _I can't play soccer anymore."_

The rest of the team had been dumbstruck when their captain uttered those words. Leg in a cast, crutches to keep his balance, and eyes red and puffy from staying up all night. They had all believed that Tai would keep playing in college once his leg healed. But there he was telling them otherwise.

" _So what if you didn't get scouted?!" Nakamura had shouted. "You're still one of the best players this school has ever seen! And you love it! We've seen your passion."_

It was like an old argument with Matt. Hands would grab at his collar, spit would fly in his face, and maybe some knuckles would connect with his skull. But back then, Tai made no move to counter or argue. He just… took it.

"Because… you need to get help first," Tai exhaled. "Whether you want it or not. Whether it… comes from others… or you."

In that closet, there are two ways to get out. You can wait it out. Maybe someone will notice that you're gone and will unlock the door from the other side. But it's risky. Because maybe that someone is death, ready to take you. Then there's the second option. You stand up, you grab the knob, and you either call for help or you break down that door yourself.

Jeri got lucky. She had friends that knew right away that she was gone. They just had to find and free her. Tai was lucky too.

But now it was up to them. Every time they felt themselves moving back towards that forsaken space, they had to snap out of it. They needed to stop themselves. Shout to the heavens. Tear down the door until there was no way to get locked up again.

Tai continued. "The fear is never truly gone even after that. You always have to keep fighting."

"Is that why big sister is always fighting?" Masahiko asked.

He nodded. "Jeri… wants to be able to protect her loved ones by doing it herself. So she fights that fear… every single day."

Masahiko lived in fear as well. While there was admiration and care for Leomon, there was also an aversion to the bipedal beast as there was to the table of hungry digital creatures. Tai saw that. This child was continuously living in the fear of that which he could not understand. But if he kept living like that, would he not reject everything that was different from who he was or what he knew?

Sliding out of his seat, Masahiko stumbled over to the Digimon. Interest and wonder crossed over his face once more as he interacted with them. Agumon and the others greeted him with big smiles and complimented him on his art.

"One question," said Joe. "Why is Leomon green?"

Mr. Katou stopped at the table, his intimidating face glaring down at the med student. "He's color blind."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize!"

"It's not a bad thing."

"Oh… uh…"

Mimi patted his shoulder. "Just keep digging that hole."

 **Zoey's Hair?**

Takuya stared off into the horizon. He didn't have to be at the edge of town to see the forest and mountains and lakes that surrounded them from all sides. All he needed was his vantage point from atop the highest castle tower. And it wasn't long before he spotted a group of humans heading towards them.

Takuya leapt down, landing with a thud and nearly scaring Risa into passing out in shock. Giving her a quick apology, he sprinted off to the entrance just in time to see the other group enter. Immediately, Bokomon and Neemon jumped into his arms and gave him a hug.

"We missed you so much!" Bokomon sobbed.

"We're so glad to see you again!" Neemon cried.

Takuya chuckled and squeezed them tighter. "I missed you guys too."

A feminine voice called out to him. "Hey, did you miss us too?"

The boy would recognize that voice anywhere. But when he looked up, standing beside the familiar Kouichi was someone with short blonde hair and baggy purple clothes not owned by the person he was thinking of. "Who are you?"

"Zoey, stop!" Kouichi cried out. "He's already lost a lot of blood!"

"You're not even trying to stop her!" Yolei yelped.

 **January 1: Kingdom Town - 10:27 AM**

As soon as Jeri crossed through the twenty-foot tall fortress walls that closed in the quaint little town, it was like stepping into a whole other world. Of course, she has literally stepped into another world and it wasn't as enchanting. For a second, she looked past the hem of her skirt to see if she was walking on thin air.

There were Digimon, big and small, In-Training to Ultimate, humanoid and beast all moving from one place to another. If it weren't for the fact that some were flying and others stood over rooftops, it would look like a scene from a period drama. Wives gossiping in the marketplace, swindlers trying to sell cheap items for a high price, and a sleeping vendor who's had a slow day.

A murmur, starting from the Knightmon guard at the gate, traveled through a line of clucking Deramon and giggling Floramon. It didn't take a good ear to understand the hushed whispers of "The King" in an awed tone. And brushing right past the brunette's legs was the scarred and battered but reverent King Shoutmon.

A Centarumon clopped through the crowd and bowed to the little red one. "Welcome home, your majesty!"

"Welcome home!" the town roared.

Flower petals and confetti fell at the group's feet as they passed, heading up towards the massive castle in the center of it all. It was quite the welcoming party. There was even a palanquin prepared for the royal dragon though he declined the offer. The Goblimon carriers seemed disappointed that they didn't get the chance to hold their monarch high.

"How have things been?" Shoutmon asked, turning to the centaur.

"Well, we've had no serious attacks thanks to Wisemon's cloaking device," said Centarumon. "An Airdramon raid did fly over last night though. It took a long while calm the young ones."

Taiki moved closer to the pair. "Speaking of young ones, we have a boat filled with eggs at the dock."

"CaptainHookmon has already informed me," Centarumon nodded. "I will send for the best nurseries to care for them."

At the back of the group, Jeri struggled to keep up. They had encountered half of the raid (consisting mostly of Ultimate level Digimon) the other night and ended up having to fight. Borrowing Takato's Hyper Wing card, she had GrapLeomon fly into battle. But he was completely out of his element. They defeated the enemy, all of which sported a Dark Ring, but not without the lion-man sustaining several injuries which of course, translated to his partner.

"Jeri?" Leormon called, pausing a few feet away. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm just… peachy," she replied, putting on a soft smile.

Trying to keep a straight face, Jeri marched forward. Takato and the others seemed to heal so quickly after getting back from their fights. Then again, they usually didn't end up in a battle every day and when they did, it was never with army after army. Everyone seemed a little beat.

"You shouldn't push yourself," the feline told her. "If something's bothering you, tell us."

Jeri nodded. "Of course. I just couldn't sleep well last night."

Leormon didn't believe her even as she briskly walked towards the castle gates. As they creaked open to reveal the flowery courtyard, they were greeted with several familiar and friendly faces. A little worn out and dirt-covered, but otherwise inviting.

"TK!" Yolei squealed, throwing her arms around his neck. "It's so good to see you again!"

The younger teen returned the gesture. "You too, Yolei." He then acknowledged Ken and Cody who seemed deep in discussion moments ago. "I guess this means Kari's group isn't here yet?"

"Unfortunately," Ken confirmed.

"But they can't be far," said Kouichi, standing nearby. "Each group has shown up within hours of each other so far. There might not be any correlation but I think it's a good sign. It's been a while since we were all together."

Takato and Jeri wished they understood the feeling. As great as it was to see Ai reunited with her twin brother, they couldn't shake the heavy feeling in their chests when they noticed that Henry was nowhere to be found. Rika and Kenta were part of the group that hadn't arrived yet so as of right now, they were the only Tamers.

Takato, anxiously tapping his foot, watched as his partner roam around the fountain, calling out for Terriermon. The outgoing rabbit saying "Momentai" would be absolutely welcome at this moment. Thankfully, Zoey noticed his behavior and told him that Henry was inside.

"You got a partner?!" Takuya blanched.

"Wow, you're so lucky!" Risa cooed.

Shinya had a wide, cocky grin on his face as he showed off Commandramon. "Isn't he just the coolest? He stabbed Armageddemon right in the eye!"

The Tamer and dinosaur stepped away from the sappy "I missed you"s to step inside the castle. He didn't know much about European history but he was certain this was how westerners had built their strongholds back in the dark ages. So, clambering up the spiral staircase, he ended up in front of the wooden door with Henry's name tag on it.

The Chosen Children were given rooms in the castle and offered baths to wash up but no one wanted to go in until their friends returned. Well, no one except Henry. Why the blue-haired Tamer had locked himself inside was a mystery. But it was one that Takato planned to solve.

"Henry?" Takato called, tentatively knocking on the door.

"I smell them inside," Guilmon remarked.

Some sheets sounded like they were being shuffled before the sound of chair legs scraping across the floor could be heard from the other side. There were momentary pauses, as if the person was checking to make sure it wasn't leaving scratches behind. Then a click, and Terriermon peeked through the crack. He was taller, than he usually is.

"Henry's sleeping," he whispered.

Takato craned his neck as if he could see more by doing so. "Did… something happen? Zoey and the others in your group seemed a bit… off."

"It's… a long story," the Rookie confessed. "I'll, or maybe Henry will, tell you guys once we're all together. He just wants to rest for now."

It wasn't like the Tamer couldn't understand. Sleep sounded absolutely heavenly since he hasn't had a decent one for a while. But the thought of one of his closest friends going through something while he just waited for answers felt wrong. It felt like… like when he rode that train with the fake Jeri. There were so many things he wanted to say, wanted to do to help, but he didn't know how.

"Just tell him, when he wakes up, that I came to see him," said Takato. "And that if he needs to, that Rika and I are willing to listen to whatever it is he has to say. We trust him. And we want him to trust us enough to talk about the things that trouble him. I know… he has trouble doing that sometimes."

It's not that Henry didn't trust them. Terriermon knew this for a fact. Whenever they were bio-merged, thoughts of Henry's family and friends would run through because more than anything, he wanted to protect them. But… Henry did have a tendency to hide his true feelings all the time.

"I'll tell him," Terriermon assured him. "I'll see you guys later." With that, the door closed shut.

 **Zoey's Hair?**

Obviously, Tommy and Shinya immediately gravitated towards their older brothers when they made it within the castle walls. After Zoey finished telling Takato of Henry's whereabouts, she moved back to the other Warriors. Tommy was already looking up at her curiously.

"Don't tell me you don't recognize me either," Zoey sighed.

The boy shook his head. "It's not that, I recognize you, Zoey. I was just thinking that it looks nice on you."

The girl was taken aback by this remark as her face flushed and she turned away. "Thanks. I… was kind of worried about how others would take it."

"Since when were you one to worry about something as trivial as that?" Shinya chuckled.

"Everyone worries about things like that," said Takuya, "no matter how cool we act. We're human, it's what we do."

Zoey nodded. "I know I act like I don't care about my appearance but it's the first thing people see. We act like it's not important, but the truth is, it feels incredibly so."

"I guess...," Tommy remarked. "But you know… I really do think it's impossible for you to look bad."

They all seemed surprised when he said that. So Yutaka placed his hands on his brother's shoulders. "Have you already gone through puberty?"

"What is that supposed to mean?!"

 **January 1: Wisemon's Lab - 11:31 AM**

"Amazing," Yolei stated breathlessly.

The small group passed through the sky high bookshelves in the ornate library, they made it into a room filled with sophisticated technology. Files and folders and books and binders all meticulously arranged in a neat stack on the nearby desk and power tools lining the walls as far as the eye can see. Finally, a pod-like machine came into view, past some giant supercomputer. This was what Wisemon had used to bring the Generals' and Hunters' Digimon into the human world.

"Unfortunately, it's no longer functional," Wisemon explained. "According to my assistants, it's because this was originally connected with the red, blue, pink, and yellow X-Loaders. However, now that all four of those digivices are here in the Digital World, we can't use it to travel back to your world."

"So you want Yolei, Kouichi, and Yuu to help you figure out a way to connect it back to the human world," Hawkmon concluded.

"That's great!" Damemon cheered. "Yuu is super smart! He'll figure this contraption out and fast!"

The Hunter wasn't so sure about that though he was grateful for his partner's praise. "Maybe if we work together with the guys at Hypnos, we'll be able to do it."

"In that case, we'll first need to create a way to communicate without having to wait days for a reply," Kouichi muttered. "But I have to confess, I'm good with numbers and science on paper but machines are my strong suit."

"That's what you got me for!" Yolei grinned. "If you guys figure out the calculations, I can handle the rewiring and maintenance."

Wisemon wanted to put everyone to work immediately but his partner forbade that. After all, no one had eaten a proper meal, slept in an actual bed, or bathed in a long time. They were dirty and tired. So the hooded Digimon told them that they would start in the morning while worked on creating a communication channel with Hypnos.

Suddenly, the sound of metal clanging down the steps caught everyone's attention as they watched a white PawnChessmon stop in front of them. Standing tall despite having run from the courtyard down to the study and remembering to respectfully salute the Chosen Children in their presence as instructed by Knightmon. "The last group of DigiDestined has arrived!"

"Kouji's here?" Kouichi gasped.

Yolei was already on her way out. "Hopefully nothing bad's happened to them!"

The courtyard was dead silent when the three humans were hit with sunlight. Heads down, eyes closed, hats and helmets in their hands. They assumed the worst but it looked like everyone was here. Kari went to give Yolei a hug while Nene and Kouji reunited with their brothers. And that was when Knightmon expressed his sadness for the loss of Cherrymon, a lieutenant of the United Xros Heart Army.

The real problem was with JP. The injury he had sustained from LadyDevimon still hadn't healed. Every time Kari changed his bandages, they seemed to get worse. No amount of healing from Sakuyamon or Angewomon seems to help. So Davis helped move him into the infirmary.

From the castle, Taiki stepped out with Shoutmon and Jijimon on either side of him. The former was donning a flowing mantle and a glittering crown. It was like it had been polished every single day while the king was gone. As for Jijimon, the elderly Digimon used his claw staff to hit a gong that his partner was dragging out in order to gain everyone's attention.

"We have two large, open-air baths if you kids would like to unwind," stated Jijimon. "By the time you're done washing up, we should have lunch ready!"

"Great," Takuya smiled. "I'm sure we're all famished."

"It would be good to take a moment to relax," Relena agreed.

Rika would've followed the girls had Takato not stepped out of the building. She had been told by Jeri that the boys were inside so she didn't worry. However, upon making eye contact with the brunet, she knew that something important just happened.

"After lunch," Rika told him as she passed. "We'll talk then."

Takato nodded before following the guys. "Sounds like a plan."

 **Zoey's Hair?**

The Warriors watched as JP was escorted to the infirmary before smiling wryly towards Kouji, grateful to see that he was no worse for wear at the very least. Actually, he was probably in the best shape out of the group. His battles weren't as big or life-changing or anything but of course, that didn't mean he didn't put in the extra effort either.

"Kouichi, are you okay?" Kouji asked. "Duskmon didn't…"

The older twin had to keep his long-haired brother from smothering him. "I'm fine, really."

Once Kouji was able to affirm the fact that Kouichi had no terrible injuries anywhere, he turned to the other guys on their team. "And I heard you two got new forms." He placed a fist on his chin as the pair flashed him wide grins. "Fusion evolution is one thing, but it never occurred to me that we could even become our Ancient forms."

"It's incredible!" Bokomon piped up. "There are few records on the Ancients aside from the fact that they existed! If all of you can bring out those forms, I can be the first Digimon ever to research them from head to toe! I'll probably win another award!"

"Is that all you think about?" Zoey chided.

"Oh, uh…," he muttered sheepishly. "That is… if it's okay with all of you."

The Legendary Warrior of Wind exhaled before turning to Kouji. "Speaking of transformations, don't you have anything to say to me?"

"...Did you learn to fusion evolve too?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you telling me you don't notice?"

"...That you're wearing a shirt that's one size too big?"

Zoey's head dipped down as her back leg lifted off the ground. Before any of the guys could react, the heel of her sneaker slammed into Kouji's cheek and he was sent flying. They watched as the boy's head hit the dirt and he was knocked unconscious.

"That's one hell of a kick," Yutaka gaped.

Takuya shuddered, hugging himself as if he was trying to protect his body. "Tell me about it…"

 **January 1: Dining Room - 12:05 PM**

There was probably enough room in the baths for the entire student body at Yagami High plus a few of their rival schools. Apparently, Shoutmon invites the whole town for bareskin bonding at least once a month. It's supposed to help them cleanse their bodies and rejuvenate their bones. And no wonder, as soon as they stepped into the water, they immediately felt like moving in.

Afterwards, they moved into the golden, sparkling dining area. When Shoutmon said he was the king, they had expected it be in title and that he was more like a war hero considering the various scars on his body. But it seemed that in the year he was separated from the Generals, he was building his reputation and keeping his world safe to the point that he was revered by everybody. Working together while he was working hard, they built this castle and the town just for him and the rest of the army.

The chefs were hard at work as well, they'd been cooking since morning when the first group arrived. Now there was a feast placed out for the Chosen Children. It was also where many familiar faces were waiting to greet them, including the Celestial trio, Gokuwmon, Sanzomon, and everyone they picked up along the way.

"So the babies are safe?" Kari asked, turning to Elecmon.

"That's right," the caretaker nodded. "You can check on them later in the west wing."

Gatomon raised a claw. "Let's make sure they grow up happy even during these trying times."

"Agreed," Kari smiled.

Speaking of children, it seemed a certain parent was reunited with his own. Bokomon somehow managed to run in slow-motion, tears running down his face, and jumped into Seraphimon's arms. The bigger shocker was watching the stoic angel return the gesture with a surprising amount of warmth.

"You're grown so tall and magnificent!" Bokomon gushed. "I can't believe you're even the same egg I once carried!"

"It's good to see you too, Papa," Seraphimon chuckled.

Davis choked on his drink. "You're his dad?!"

"Well, he used to be 'Mama'," Takuya snickered.

Cherubimon floated over to Kouichi and gave the boy a formal apology for the pain he had caused him when he was corrupted. The angelic beast also apologized for losing the four spirits he was assigned to protect but thanked the Legendary Warriors for taking them back.

At the doorway where Sanzomon quietly meditated, Henry walked across the threshold with Terriermon on his shoulder. The monk and the human noticed each other but didn't say a word. The last time they had met, they battled in the city street. Now they saw each other again, but the Tamer felt nothing towards her.

JP followed soon after. New bandages were wrapped around his bare stomach as he was carried by Unimon to his seat in between Takuya and Kouji. The Warrior had insisted upon eating with his friends and it was difficult to deny his request despite his wound.

"I like your haircut," JP remarked, looking over at Zoey.

"Why thank you," she replied before glaring at Kouji. "At least _someone_ has eyes." She then turned to Takuya. "And _recognizes_ me."

Before everyone settled into the dull hum of the dining hall, Shoutmon called for their attention by clinking his metal spoon against his wine glass. As soon as all eyes were on him, he cleared his throat and took out his signature microphone. The king addressed the soldiers that were lost in battle and thanked Jijimon, his top advisor, for taking such good care of the kingdom in his absence. Once that was done, he got onto the real issues.

"We came to this world in search of Impmon and to stop the Demon Lords from conquering more of our beloved home," said Shoutmon. "Things haven't gone exactly as planned. That's to be expected, I mean, none of us thought it was going to be easy."

Ryo and Suzie and their partners were snatched away from them. Cherrymon and Etemon were deleted and absorbed. A whole town was destroyed.

Taiki stood tall beside his partner before taking his turn to speak. "But that doesn't mean we'll give up without a fight. We have allies from all over backing us up, from the opposite hemisphere, to the human world. From here on out, we are the new United Xros Heart Army!"

"For today," Shoutmon continued. "I want us all to eat well and smile big. It's a new year after all! We can take one more!"

Cheers rang from most present in the hall. Some were stoically thinking up strategies already while others just weren't up to the festivities just yet. It couldn't helped. But the ones that did smile on this day were the ones that knew they needed the morale boost.

"The mochi is done!" a Hamburgermon, the head chef, sang as she skipped in with a huge trolley of rainbow-colored mochi following closely behind.

Jeri gasped in delight while Ai and Mako were climbing on top of each other to get a better look. "Mochi?!"

"Our group got here first," Yuu chuckled. "So I asked a favor from the chefs and taught them how to make mochi. We'd been working since four in the morning but it was fun."

The group wanted to make the day feel as normal as possible for New Year's so as soon as they finished their meal, they went back into the courtyard to continue the festivities. Playing karuta, flying kites, spinning tops, or simply exploring the town and window shopping. While they were still together though, they did "kakizome," otherwise known as first calligraphy.

"Whoa!" Davis gaped.

"Rika, your handwriting is beautiful!" Kari stared.

"Well, it's not wonder," Jeri giggled. "Despite being in class B, she is second in our grade in Japanese."

The redhead crossed her arms after signing the giant piece of paper. "Legible handwriting has nothing to do with understanding language, grammar, and syntax. However, I am absolutely terrible when it comes to science."

"That would be more my area of expertise," Yolei grinned before staring down at her chicken scratch. "Well… I'm done!"

Takuya looked over, cocking his head to the side. "What does that even say?"

"It says exactly what it's supposed to say!" she pouted in response. "I want to find true love!"

Kristy rolled her eyes. "During kakizome or even the first shrine visit, you have to make more important wishes than that. For example…" She finished the last few strokes before holding up her own masterpiece. "I want to find the cure for cancer!"

" _That's_ what it says?!" Takuya and Davis shouted together.

"Uh… That seems… ambitious," Yolei scoffed as the boys were thrown over the wall.

Taiki couldn't help laughing as he watched the girls argue about it. He then turned over to his classmate to see what he was writing. But when he turned to Takato, he found the black paint to be completely gone. "A mountain landscape ink wash painting?!"

"Ah…," Takato blinked, sitting up. "I wanted to draw something in the corner and I guess I got carried away…"

"There's only a tiny bird in that corner!"

"Yay!" Guilmon cheered. "I finished mine!"

"It doesn't even look like Japanese!"

"It can't be helped," Gatomon murmured. Somehow, the cat's fur had taken on an ashen color. "After all… we don't have thumbs."

"Gatomon's handwriting is also pretty bad…," said Hawkmon.

"Well, that makes me feel better about mine," Zoey chuckled. "Plus, I have the excuse of being non-Japanese to fall back on."

Rika stood up and gestured over to Relena and Bearmon. "Those two look like they could _teach_ calligraphy and one is a foreigner while the other is an anthropomorphized bear. I don't think you guys have any excuses."

"Why are you so good at everything?!"

"Eh?!" Relena flinched.

The cheerful chatter turned into bothered bemoans upon hearing that they would have to wake up early the next morning to start training. It wasn't like it was a bad idea. They were all just hoping that they could stay in real beds for longer. But they needed to get stronger if they wanted to stand a chance against the Demon Lords. And that didn't just mean the Digimon.

During the commotion, the trio of Tamers managed to slip away and sneak into one of the empty corridors.

Takato and Rika sat patiently as they watched their friend struggle to form the right words. Terriermon ended up retelling most of their story. From the second they heard that Suzie had been taken by the Demon Lords to the moment they were defeated in battle by Dianamon. The other two Tamers waited and hung onto every word.

"It's just like that time we confronted Zhuqiaomon," Henry finished, still staring down at his sneakers. "I lost sight of everything and was just… so mad… at the whole world for involving my little sister. This time, I was mad at the Demon Lords but I took it out on everyone else… my own friends."

"Happens to the best of us," Rika shrugged.

"Rika," Renamon chided.

The redhead grimaced, realizing how that came out. "What I meant was… We all have our own breakdowns and meltdowns and episodes. It's not something to kick yourself over. We're here for you and we'll hold you down if you ever go ballistic again."

"Rika's right," Takato agreed. "You can't always be the one we rely on. Rely on _us_ once in a while."

Terriermon had to cut in. "This time was different. Sort of…"

Taking a deep breath, Henry told them about his childhood days, before he took apprenticeship under Sensei Cho. He used to run amok, tearing through the house like a maniac. Chairs were flipped, papers were ripped, couches were tipped, and plaster was chipped. It was hard for anyone to imagine seeing as he was always the calm one in the group.

According to Henry, going crazy like he did a few days ago felt exactly the same as it had when he was young. With a hand clutching at his heart, he told them his theory. He's an experiment, one of the last for testing when it came to the completion of the Dark Spore. What made it incomplete… was that it was too much darkness to be contained. He lost control.

"But you've taken control," Takato interjected. He leaned forward and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, forcing him to look the brunet in the eye. "We've been with you for _five_ years. We've seen you lose your temper _once_. But even if we see that two or three or even a hundred more times, we will be there to help you."

"Momentai, right?" Rika added, taking Henry's other shoulder. "Besides, it's not like you haven't seen either me or Takato go nuts. And that was just during our first adventure. We'll be there for you just as you were for us."

"What if… I end up hurting one of you?" Henry ventured.

Guilmon suddenly took a step forward with his pupils dilated into slits and fangs bared. "I would never let that happen." He calmed down immediately once Takato placed a hand on his head. It was somehow so relaxing that he closed his eyes and his tongue just flopped out.

"He's right," Renamon nodded. "If you were to ever turn on our partners, don't think that we would hesitate to bring you down."

"I hope that you will keep your word if it ever comes to that," said Henry.

 **January 1: Hypnos - 5:17 PM**

They almost couldn't believe their eyes and ears when Yamaki told them about the message that was sent to them from the Digital World. Wisemon was able to establish a clear enough connection for them to create a bridge between their transporter pods. With a few modifications, they might be able to bring the kids back and forth between dimension lines. It's the breakthrough they'd been waiting for!

"It's going to take some time," said Daisy, looking over her notes. "But we should have it done in less than two weeks."

"Fifteen days at most," Babel added.

Their partners watched on in awe, having never seen the adults work before. They rolled across the linoleum in their swivel chairs and had their fingers clack away at their keyboard and their papers shuffling across the desks and through the air. It was a hodgepodge of sound and commands though none for the little creatures on the floor.

"They really have grown up, huh," FanBeemon buzzed.

"Well, of course," said Salamon. "Though even as little kids, they were pretty mature."

Betamon couldn't help feeling bored since he really wanted to play with his partner again. But he knew that the man was busy. So he turned to the other digital creatures with wide-eyed wonder instead. "Hey, what were you guys doing before Gennai called us all together again? I'm curious."

Ryudamon lived as a blacksmith in Ebonwumon's world in his Champion form, Ginryumon. In a world where war was being waged between beasts and humans, the dragon was making plenty of digi-dollars by repairing armor and forging weapons for both sides.

Fanbeemon, as Waspmon, was a normal hive guard living in Zhuqiaomon's world. He lived on the opposite hemisphere as the chaos of the D-Reaper happened so he wasn't too bothered by it though he had heard much panic from fleeing refugees. There were some holes in the digital plane popping up here and there as well.

Salamon, as Darcmon, was a schoolteacher in Ebonwumon's world. She wasn't as surprised as Ryudamon was at the fact that they had never met. After all, what sane Digimon brings a legion of children into a weapons shop as a class field trip?

Betamon, as Seadramon, explored the oceans of Baihumon's world. He apparently made lots of friends and was completely oblivious to the fight between the Data Squad and Yggdrasil. Though he did hear about a crazy human scientist that was deleting Digimon on sight for his own gains.

Lastly, there was Candlemon. They didn't have to ask which world or what form he was in. They all knew the story.

"Candlemon," Rai called. "The communication channel is going to be active all night. They've set up a link so if you want to talk to Gatomon…"

"I… don't even know what to say to her," Candlemon muttered.

Salamon hopped over and nudged him forward. "Come on, she was your best friend from your last life, right? The least you can do is say hello."

"Yeah," Ryudamon agreed. "Besides, I'm sure she has a lot to say to you."

The armored dragon knew the feeling of losing a close friend better than any of them. After all, for the longest time, Shibumi's partner had been the enemy. That partner was Ryudamon's brother, the Digimon he could count on no matter what. So Candlemon knew he couldn't let this pass him by.

Taking a deep breath, Candlemon hopped over to the computer screen where Gatomon was waiting. Her ears perked up when she heard metal clang against the tiled floor as the Rookie Digimon waved awkwardly. "Long time no see."

The feline Digimon didn't say anything at first. Just studied her old friend. But then a smile appeared on her face. "You've gotten shorter."

"Yeah, degeneration can do that to you," Candlemon chuckled.

As Wizardmon, he scoured the world in search of something or someone that would take away his loneliness. Whether it was because inside, he knew that Rai, or his brother, or his best friend were all missing or simply because he didn't know how to make friends. But he was grateful when he met Gatomon.

When Gatomon told him that she was looking for something but didn't know what, something clicked inside the mage. There was someone important to him that he couldn't find. So he wanted desperately to help this stranger to repay the debt he owed.

"I was too busy crying," said Gatomon. "On the day I lost you and the day I got to see you again… that I couldn't thank you properly for everything that you've done."

Candlemon glanced between Gatomon and Rai. "When I protected you… I think, some part of me didn't want to go through that again. Losing your best friend, losing someone you love, is just so painful. I'm sorry that I put you through that but I knew that Kari would be able to make you smile again."

"She did," Gatomon nodded. "But just like no one can replace her, no one can replace you."

"I know exactly what you mean... I've missed you."

"...I've missed you, too."

-X-

 **Things are pretty quiet in this chapter but it seems like drama is brewing in all sorts of corners. Tai is teaching Masahiko about not letting fear control you, Henry has confessed his concerns over the spore inside of him, and Gatomon finally got to see one of her best friends again. But most importantly, we got to see how not to react to your friend after she's received a major hairdo change. Find out what happens next on Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **Hey all! Mimi, here! Usually, Zero does these outros but since I don't need him to translate Japanese to English, I decided to hijack it! So welcome to Mimi's Corner!**

 **Anyway, Valentine's Day is tomorrow and while Zero is going to be alone, it doesn't necessarily make it a bad thing. Even if you don't have a significant other or a best friend to chill with, taking a Me Day is just as important. And if you've got work or school to deal with, remember to take a short break. It can be a big help to your health and wellbeing.**

 **If you plan on professing your feelings to someone on that special day, then here's some advice.**

 **First, it's okay to be nervous. Just take a few deep breaths and if you stutter, it's not the end of the world, just keep going.**

 **Second, don't get extravagant with a gift because you'll make them feel guilty if they say no or obligated to say yes. If you're serious about this person, you don't want to make them feel like that. A rose or a simple box of chocolates will do nicely. Again, rejection is not the end of the world. It'll hurt, yes, but you've survived every terrible moment in the past before, right?**

 **Third, if this is a friend and you don't want to jeopardize what you already have, then be sure to emphasize on that point. Things will be awkward but eventually, it'll get back to normal. So long as you do things as you always have.**

 **Finally, fourth, you don't have to be direct. A love note or having a friend with you or nearby is fine as well.**

 **Thank you for listening to Mimi's corner and I hope my advice helps. Just remember that Valentine's is about love. Familial, platonic, romantic, or even the self, that's what is important. Just don't go overboard with the sweets or you might get sick. Anyway, leave a review and have a happy Valentine's guys, gals, and non-binary pals! See you next time!**


	27. Training and Talking

**Question** : Zoey, in the Frontier Drama CD, you said that you were interested in someone on the team. Takuya challenges you, fires you up, Kouji makes you feel protected and safe, JP has been the most open, and Kouichi is "perfect boyfriend material." While you disregard Takuya to be an option, I'd like to know, who do you really like?

 **Zoey** : Oh god.

 **Marcus** : Wait, what?

 **Tommy** : While traveling through the Digital World, we got really homesick so we decided to write letters to home. Apparently, that's what Zoey wrote about.

 **Yolei** : Come on~. *Pokes Zoey's buried head* Don't keep the boys waiting~.

 **Zoey** : Okay, first of all, I was twelve, my opinions and mindset has changed. Second, at the time, I was confusing romantic feelings with platonic ones. I was young. Kouji made me feel the way that the princesses in storybooks describe, being protected and sheltered from the dangers in the world. JP's obvious crush on me was appealing because it made me feel attractive. And Kouichi was a mystery but he's good-looking, kind, and smart, and what schoolgirl doesn't have a crush on guys like that?

 **Cutemon** : She's avoiding the question!

 **Akari** : Shush! Don't aggravate the girl that can knock out a black belt with a single kick!

 **Zoey** : The truth is… at the time, I probably had authentic feelings for Takuya. He treated me as anyone else would. Everyone I met, they were so accommodating because I'm a foreigner in a world I couldn't understand. If not that, then it was because I'm a girl. Takuya saw me as an equal and… I really liked that.

 **Takuya** : We did date for a bit but we broke up when we realized that we kept turning all our dates into competitions.

 **Zero Unit** : Well, that answers the second question, "Why do you like someone that challenges you?"

 **Zoey** : It's a legitimate reason to like someone. Being around Takuya makes things fun, whether it's as friends or more. We jump into debates, we make friendly bets, and we have some fun contests as well. Why date someone who will agree with everything you say or accommodates because they think that's what you want?

 **Matt** : Hey… There's more on this letter. "I personally think it's Kouji since it goes along with the trope of the lone wolf getting the girl/guy on each season leaving the leader friendzoned (Sorry Takuya, Tai, Davis, Takato, Marcus - good for you Taiki for avoiding the "leader's curse"- and Tagiru, but nobody really likes you, so...)"

 **Tagiru** : *Depressed* No one likes me…?

 **Yuu** : If it's any consolation, I like you at the very least.

 **Mimi** : My ship is sailing!

 **Ryouma** : Well, in Tagiru's defense, the only Hunters-exclusive girls are Airu and Mizuki… and we all know who they had crushes on.

 **Tai** : Sora and I have always been best friends. I've never had a crush on her and she never had a crush on me. That's how we work.

 **Sora** : Yeah, stop looking at us as if we have to be in love just for being close. Heterosexual guys and girls can be friends without any romantic tension going on.

 **Davis** : Isn't… Ken the lone wolf in our team? Does that make the girl… Yolei? *Retches*

 **Yolei** : Oh, shut up! It obviously means Kari!

 **Rika** : I'm pretty sure Jeri reciprocates Takato's feelings. They're just too scared to take the next step.

 **Jeri** : Um… I'm pretty sure _you're_ the girl, Rika.

 **Rika** : *Goes wide-eyed* You know what, I retract my statement! I'm going to go with Sora and shame the audience for thinking that a heterosexual guy and a girl can't just be friends!

 **Terriermon** : Hold on now! Henry and Ryo are great and all but I don't think either of them count as lone wolves. Rika, you're often seen as that member of the Tamers by the majority of our fan base. So if Jeri is the girl and you're the lone wolf, then that means you two must be the ones to have feelings for each other!

 **Mimi** : My other ship has sailed!

 **Kouji** : Wait… Zoey, did you think that I was protecting you because you're a girl?

 **Zoey** : Were you not?

 **Kouji** : No, it's because you were weak.

 **Zoey** : *Drop kicks his face* I can't believe I ever thought you were attractive!

 **Marcus** : Really? Kristy makes one comment about Yoshino and I acting like an old married couple and suddenly we're shipped. I have no interest in her at all. As a matter of fact, I can say, with pride, that I've never felt anything for anyone.

 **Kristy** : And you want an award for that or something?

 **Zenjirou** : I thought Nene was the girl.

 **Shoutmon** : I like how we all universally thought of Akari.

 **Kiriha** : Well, they couldn't be any more obvious.

 **Cutemon** : *Thumbs up* I approve!

 **Akari** : Stop! Stop this madness! *Turns to camera* Sorry for the incredibly long answer to what should've been a quick question, please enjoy today's chapter! *Turns back around* Everyone, stop! Zero already said no pairings!

 **Mimi** : All my ships are sailing!

-X-

 **January 2: Kingdom Town — 1:02 AM**

"I figured you'd be out here."

Three bright moons shined down, lighting up the garden in iridescent shades of blue, orange, and pink. Standing at the crossroads, staring up at the marble Shoutmon that acted as the centerpiece for the castle, was Kari. It was relaxing just to be amongst the tulips and to hear the water flow from the top of the fountain, into the pool below. She hadn't expected to find that JP had followed her.

Kari turned around to face him. "I just thought I'd take a walk."

For the first time in a long while, the pair weren't in torn up, sand-covered clothes. Dressed in soft white pajamas provided by the castle staff, they looked like ghosts in the dark.

"Really?" said JP, walking up to her. "And here I thought you were just avoiding sleep again."

The nature of her nightmares was no secret to anyone. Once they heard that she was having trouble sleeping, they all had their suspicions. So without even arguing, she sat down on the stone circumference of the fountain as JP took the spot beside her.

"There's no way that they're just dreams," Kari muttered. "But what do they want from me? Why do they just keep… taunting me?"

"Revenge?" JP shrugged.

It was the first thing to come to mind and it made sense. Villains on television are often depicted to be cruel and petty. When they feel like they've been wronged or humiliated by the hero, they'll go to ridiculous lengths just to spite them.

"The dreams have been getting clearer," Kari admitted. "And they've been getting closer."

"Closer?"

"In proximity."

"Proximity?"

The dreams often start the same. There's nothing but darkness but there's no telling if this is the same in every direction because Kari can't turn her head. But after what feels like an eternity of silence, a small white line appears, ebbing and flowing back and forth in her line of vision. After that, the sound of the ocean begins sloshing away at her ears. When the first sound of a wave crashing onto shore hits, everything goes white.

JP cocked his head to the side to get a better look at Kari's downcast expression. "And that's when you wake up?"

"Not recently," Kari shuddered. "It would continue from then… I would get submerged into cold water and… several pairs of eyes would look down on me. The owners of those eyes would chant something under their breath… It didn't sound Japanese. Latin… maybe? Regardless, I would always feel like I was suffocating, struggling to breathe and when I opened my mouth, a flood of water would invade my lungs."

"So that's why you always breathe so hard upon waking up," JP concluded.

Kari stared down at her reflection in the water as the Legendary Warrior tried to come up with something to say to cheer her up. He's blunt, often speaking his mind, so it's rare for him to be stumped on words. But to her surprise, rather than speaking, he held a white flower up to her face.

"Hey, that tickles," she giggled as she felt the soft petal run across her cheek. "Tissue paper?"

JP chuckled softly as she took it in her hands. "Made it for a magic trick of mine." He hooked his fingers into his sleeves and tugged. "Nothing up my sleeve…" With a flick of his wrist, a rainbow bouquet of tissue paper flowers appeared in his hand.

Kari laughed gleefully as she accepted the bouquet, applauding the magician. "I wish you'd tell me how you do it."

"Magic doesn't need an explanation to exist," JP winked. "Though if it does have a reason, I think it's to make people happy. And knowing where that it comes from ruins that aspect."

"True," Kari agreed.

She was suddenly reminded of her summer days as a child. When there was nothing to do but watch reruns and eat ice cream. She was too sick to actually go outdoors and even though he could, Tai chose to stay inside and keep her company. He couldn't do magic tricks, but he tried to make her laugh and smile by putting on sock puppet shows.

It was often poorly executed. And his storytelling could use some work. But it was so much fun watching her older brother talk to himself in different voices.

"You look deep in thought," JP remarked.

"Yeah," Kari nodded. "Hey… Did I ever tell you why I want to be a kindergarten teacher?"

"I don't think so."

The brunette folded her hands across her lap as she turned to face the falling water. "Since I was always terribly ill and locked inside, I wasn't able to play with a lot of the other kids. I always felt lonely and sad and it was times like that when my older brother, when Tai, really came through for me. I'm constantly reminded of that and think to myself, well, I want to make other kids smile too!"

"You want to be their big sister?"

"Exactly!" The laughter faltered quickly as Kari stood up, hugging the bouquet to her chest. "That's why I have to start being brave and fighting for myself. I can't always be protected by Gatomon, Yolei, TK, you, or even my real big brother!"

"Eh? Real big brother?"

She spun around with a bright smile on her face though it vanished as quickly as it had come. JP raised an eyebrow in confusion before the sound of water bubbling reached his ears. The moment he turned to look at the fountain was the same moment a black claw reached out and grabbed Kari by the leg, yanking her into the water.

"Kari!" JP shouted.

The fountain was probably waist deep but only if you were a toddler. Yet somehow, Kari was already up to her shoulders and it wouldn't be long before her head would be submerged as well. JP latched onto her wrists and prayed that he was stronger than whatever was on the other end of this tug-of-war.

"JP!" Kari yelped. "I'm slipping!"

So was he. The water on the marble fountain gave JP zero traction so he ended up falling into the pool face-first which caused Kari to sink deeper as well. But this allowed the Warrior to see the thing that was trying to snatch away his friend.

It was black and wispy, almost like it wasn't actually there and just the shadows of the water's surface shining down on the bottom. Had it not been for the chilling feeling and the taste of iron and unbelievable amounts of salt on JP's tongue, he wouldn't think it wasn't anything terrifying. To make matters worse, there were at least four pairs of blood-red eyes staring up at the boy as the hands slowly reached for Kari's face, ready to pull her over to the other side.

JP threw his head of the water as his left fist sparked with electricity. "I'm sorry about this, Kari!"

With a splash, the creature was hit right in eye with an electrified punch. It let go and that was enough leeway for JP to pull Kari out of the water and on top of him. They were both short of breath and a little fried from the lightning but otherwise okay.

"Okay…,"Kari huffed. "If it's something like what just happened… I _will_ need help."

The older teen sat up and pushed the girl away from him. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to electrocute you or anything."

"No, no, I'm fine," she replied, shaking her head. "It did sting but… it's way better than the alternative. Thank you, JP."

"Kari!" Gatomon called out.

The soaked pair turned to see the Champion and Zoey running towards them. The Digimon immediately leapt into her partner's arms while the Legendary Warrior took a moment to examine the scene before her with an expression of suspicion.

"This is not what it looks like!" JP yelled.

"I know," Zoey said, putting her hands on her hips. "Regardless, we still heard Kari scream. I woke up half the castle on my way down here."

As she said, Digimon and humans alike were either arising from their beds or sleepily entering the courtyard. Yolei somehow managed to cover the distance between the corridor and the fountain in three seconds flat but before she could drop kick JP, Zoey stopped her. Before long, Kari was surrounded by worried Chosen Children as she told them what just happened.

"A Deep One tried to take you?" TK repeated.

"We should probably keep you away from any large bodies of water from now on," Kristy determined. "It seems to be their method of moving between worlds."

Shoutmon turned to his guards. "Turn off the fountain."

"What about the baths?" Knightmon asked.

Rika stepped forward. "We'll just have to keep a closer eye on her. Besides, we're going to be undergoing some heavy training in the morning, right? This'll be a good reminder as to why us humans have to get strong as well."

They all knew she was right. They also knew that that meant they needed to sleep before daybreak. For now, Kari was safe, and that's what mattered most.

 **January 2: Hypnos Training Facility — 10:16 AM**

Izzy and Joe were rather disappointed in themselves. Everyone else had already passed through the free running test. They knew that they weren't exactly physically fit compared to their comrades but they didn't think they would have so much trouble clearing an obstacle course in under three minutes.

As expected from their athletic peers though. Sora did the best in the group. Marcus was pretty upset that he ended up fourth but he proved to be the best in terms of strength. Tai was also still hesitating to put too much pressure on his leg so he might actually spike to first once he does. For now, the pair in last had to watch as the others advanced to the next round of training: weapons.

"As I thought," a college-aged Daisy nodded. "The sword suits you best."

"It's like a really heavy tennis racket," Sora grunted.

"Perhaps a lighter one would do you better," the older woman concluded.

Some were more obvious than others. Marcus preferred bare-handed fighting so it made sense to just wear special enforcements rather than use a projectile or blade weapon. And while he had immense strength and five years of monster-fighting experience, he was still no match for a college-aged Janyu who was maneuvering past his blows like they came from a sloth.

Tai and Thomas joined in the sparring match not too long ago. Yet all three were missing hits like they were playing Guitar Hero blind. At some point, Janyu redirected Tai's foot into Thomas's face and Marcus's punch into Tai's gut and Thomas's roundhouse on Marcus's back all at once. The trio toppled over into a messy dogpile.

"Amazing," Tai huffed. "His real body is working on the portal and his mind is preoccupied on Suzie yet his focus is unwavering."

"Shush!" Akari hissed at him. She was undergoing training with a spear under Robert's wing. "Don't be so insensitive."

Janyu took a deep breath. "Thank you for the concern but I'm fine, Akari."

Akari and Airu took second and third in terms of strength which surprised everyone aside from the Hunters. The former proved that it wasn't a fluke by heaving a fifty pound sack of sand over one shoulder and tossing it aside like it was no lighter than a shoebox. The latter proved it by shot putting a bowling ball on a string into the wall… from twenty feet away.

"Heavy weapons," Robert had deducted. "That's what's going to help you two the most." So they ended up with a stinger and rake similar to their partners' weapons.

Gennai was nearby, trying to recreate the silver keys so that Robert's group could at least reach Ultimate. At the same time, the Champions were teaching the digital partners some new ways they can fight. JagerDorulumon and AtlurBallistamon were sparring so that they could get used to their new forms. But it was Lillymon who seemed to be the most into the training.

"Zudomon! Let me use your hammer as a weight!" the fairy demanded.

"Eh?!" the gargantuan walrus blanched. "There's no way you could pick it up!"

Rosemon placed a hand on the Ultimate's shoulder. "Even as a Mega, I wouldn't dream of lifting such a weapon. Maybe you should focus on other areas, like your speed."

"You're right!" Lillymon huffed, puffing up her chest and flexing her skinny, nonexistent biceps. "I'll try to imitate Togemon's Lightspeed Jabbin'!"

"Your punches aren't very strong though," MetalGarurumon muttered.

"Oh yeah?"

Lillymon spun to WarGreymon and threw a right jab at the bipedal dragon's face. A clang resounded through the gym before she crumpled to the floor, fist to her chest and wings wilting. They watched as she slowly stood up straight, put on a straight face, and was trying very hard not to cry.

"Are…," Arresterdramon took a step towards her. "...you okay?"

A pause. "...Yes?" she squeaked.

Mimi had been thinking about it for a while now. Her partner's been sneaking out at night and doing a variety of exercises in the backyard. The one-sided fight she experienced back in Sapporo affected her more than she let on.

Mimi didn't say anything though. If Palmon was determined to get stronger, then she had no place to tell her otherwise. Besides, it was nice to see Palmon getting so fired up.

"Look at the time!" Mimi gasped. "I was supposed to meet Jaarin so we could go shopping and then take a shrine visit."

Sora fell onto her butt thanks to Zenjirou's superior swordsmanship. "Oh yeah," she heaved. "She had a game yesterday and couldn't go."

"Is it really okay to be skipping out on training?" Babel asked.

"It'll be fine," Rai giggled. "After all, Mimi did pass third on the obstacle course so if she runs into trouble, she can always just run away."

Mimi flashed the older woman a thankful smile before grabbing her bag, grateful that her old school in America allowed her to do both cheerleading _and_ track and field. She was much more athletically able than one would think at first glance. So she and Lillymon took off, wishing their comrades luck in their training.

 **January 2: Kingdom Training Grounds — 10:17 AM**

The dirt fields where the royal guards train to protect their king was given to the DigiDestined to use. Kouichi and Yuu were excused since they both already knew how to fight and had their own jobs to do. Until the blueprints and mathematics were finished, Yolei wouldn't be called in to start engineering. It would put them at a disadvantage compared to their friends but they were willing to put in the extra effort to keep up.

Just like in Hypnos, there was an obstacle course and a strength test. Unsurprisingly, anyone with prior athletic ability passed with flying colors. Very few of them failed.

Once that was done, they moved on to fighting mobile dummies that reassembled after being blown apart. Kristy recalled her older brother talking about having to go through a similar trial in order to achieve Mega. Though in this case, the training was mostly for the humans' benefit.

"Don't try too hard to keep up with the men," Sayo instructed the girls. "At least, in terms of strength. The guys can grow more muscle mass than you so try to figure out a way to trump them without using physical strength."

Zoey already surpassed many of the boys when they sparred with her. Speed and flexibility were both things she used to gain the upper hand when muscle and size could not.

Yolei proved how useful her photographic memory could be in battle. With a single glance, she was able to memorize the battlefield, using various objects and obstacles to her advantage. She was even able to clear the obstacle course blindfolded. Though she ended up wasting a whole minute chasing Davis for shifting the position of two of the hurdles, causing her to trip.

Rika was the only exception to the strength rule as she rivaled many of the boys in strength. Sayo did remind the redhead not to depend too much on it though.

Most of the girls couldn't keep up with their comrades. Kari was having the most trouble. After the incident last night, everyone agreed that she shouldn't be pushed too hard though she fought against their decision. They finally settled on a compromise to teach her to use a ranged weapon.

"Ever used a bow before?" Angewomon asked.

"Not really," her partner replied, holding up the weapon. "But Rika says it gets easier after releasing the first shot."

The angel smiled. "It does. Just keep your aim steady and you should be fine."

"Easy for you to say. You've never missed a shot," Kari smirked.

Then there's Jeri who was told that she had a lot of potential in her. Unfortunately, she was unable to show it in combat. Her partner was trying to teach her martial arts but while her punches had a lot of force put into them, it didn't mean anything if she couldn't connect it with her foe.

"You're too fast!" the brunette huffed.

GrapLeomon let out a heavy sigh. "Do you think any reasonable enemy would actually stand still for you?"

"Well, no…," Jeri replied, pushing herself back to her feet. "But maybe… get progressively faster instead of treating this like a real battle?"

"...I'm going less than a fifth of my usual speed."

"Oh… I'm hopeless."

GrapLeomon didn't want the Tamer doubting her skill. She had the power but lacked the discipline and training. Glancing around, he noticed JP sparring with Takuya. The older male was barely getting any hits in but the way he bounced around allowed him to evade many of his opponent's blows as well.

"Jeri," the leonine warrior realized. "You should try fighting like a boxer."

"Eh? A boxer?" she repeated.

Rather than going right into a mock battle, her partner began teaching her how to move like a boxer. "Keep nimble and your arms locked in front of you," GrapLeomon explained. "This is for both dodging and defending."

"But how will I know where the enemy hits?"

Turuiemon ducked under one of TK's punches. "Keep your eyes on the shoulders, not the fists. The way they roll, move, and shift will tell you which direction the next punch is going to come from. The same goes for the hips when they go for a kick." She performed a roundhouse which TK was able to dodge.

"What if they fake it?" the blond inquired.

"Facial expression," Cody explained as he sidestepped another one of Taiki's slashes. The General held the sword in front of him to block Cody's oncoming blows. "Usually, it's hidden underneath the kendo helmet but luckily for us…" The younger male feinted left before slamming his hilt into Taiki's side. "Our faces are uncovered."

Taiki rubbed his sore side as he looked at Cody with one open eye. "What if we end up taking on a Digimon like Knightmon or Jijimon, whose expressions are difficult to discern unless it's greatly exaggerated. Or someone as stoic as you?"

Commandramon shot a bullet right through a dummy's head. "Then you have to cover up your holes."

"Easy for you to say," Mako muttered, trying to keep his firearm steady.

"Yeah, we're long-range fighters," Ai agreed. "What if they come right in front of us?"

"Keep your elbows tucked in," Tommy told Shinya. "I may not know how to use a gun but I know that much. And it's not just a projectile weapon. You can use it as an extension of your own body, much like my tomahawks. They won't draw blood but blunt trauma to the head is as good a blow as any."

"And if the Digimon resists?" Kiriha wondered aloud, avoiding more of Kouji's hits.

"Add extra force," the raven-haired teen responded. "If it's an uppercut, then a jolt to the elbow. If it's a kick, rebound with the other foot. If it's a headbutt, then two fists to the sides. Just don't let a solid enemy phase you because every second counts."

No matter who was teaching who or what level of experience they had on the battlefield, everyone pitched in when it was needed to help someone get stronger. It also didn't matter how long they knew each other, they were all fighting for the same cause. They were all careful not to disrupt one another and give advice as to how to fight depending on the opponent and skill level.

During their lunch break, Glare and Julia were giving the humans some extra information they had never heard of before. Thanks to the two adults, everyone had already learned how to produce their DigiSoul and transfer it into another object but there was apparently a way to make it even stronger.

"DigiSoul conversion?"

Glare nodded. "For Digimon, their entire being is made up of DigiSoul but it's already been converted into an element. We, as humans, are unable to do so automatically but we each have the inherent ability to do it."

"It takes a lot of practice and training," Julia added. "But it seems the Legendary Warriors already have it down."

The group of six jolted upwards in their seats, eyes wide with shock. They had wondered why every time they tried to produce their DigiSoul, some variation of their element appeared instead. But this was news to each of them.

"Wait," Takuya stated, snapping his fingers and producing flames in his hands. "You mean this isn't a side effect from spirit evolution?"

Koh shrugged. "Who knows? Truth be told, none of us can do an instantaneous conversion like that. It takes a ton of concentration."

"Perhaps it _is_ a side effect," Sayo chimed in. "Just… not a bad one. After all, only Digimon can convert their soul without having to think and… well… you guys are sort of part Digimon."

Coronamon took a bite out of his meat bun and grinned widely. "At least there's no questioning what your elements are."

"Well, for most humans, their elements match their partners," said Lunamon. "Like how Koh is light and fire while Sayo is dark and ice. They match us."

Takato looked down at his hands. "You mean I'll be able to shoot Pyro Spheres from my palms?"

"Whoa there," Koh chuckled. "That's a very advanced skill. For the most part, you can't 'shoot' anything without years of practice. The most you'll be able to do in a short amount of time is producing the element and cover your weapon with it."

"Unless it's a physical object," said Sayo. She stood up and turned to face one of the dummies. The kind Yolei was tossing throwing stars at. Squeezing her fist, white mist started seeping out of the crevices before it hardened into an icicle in her palm. With a flick, the icicle struck the dummy through the forehead. "Like that."

None of them were expected to achieve this advanced step in DigiSoul manipulation and it wasn't necessary in the first place. But if they wanted to practice it on their own time, they were encouraged to do so. As of right now, they were just happy to catch a break from training.

"I wonder…," Davis muttered, with a mouth full of riceball and staring at the rolling clouds in the sky, "What the others are doing right now…"

Yolei held up a phone. "You can ask."

"I forgot about the communication channel!"

Just then, the communicator started ringing much to their surprise. The bespectacled teen turned it around so that the screen faced her. She then pressed the speaker button so that everyone could hear the following message from the human world.

" _Ah, Yolei, is that you?_ " Samson's voice echoed. " _Could you give the phone to the Legendary Warriors? I completed their favor._ "

It was more of the Celestial Angels that had suggested it to them. They knew that the four remaining spirits would be kept safe in their possession but if they wanted to unlock the power of all the Warriors, then they would need to find new hosts. Of course, it wasn't that easy. Just because Takuya and the others could choose four people they thought would best suit the bill didn't make them automatically compatible. Yet they knew the exact people to choose when faced with the decision.

A new voice came through the phone. " _Takuya? Tommy?_ "

"Katsuharu!" Tommy piped up. "Thanks for coming!"

"Are the others with you?" Takuya asked.

" _Uh, yeah, we're all here_ ," came the answer. " _But why? The government dude with the sunglasses wouldn't tell us anything_."

Zoey placed an elbow on Takuya's shoulder and leaned forward. "That's because he doesn't know either."

" _Then just tell us that_ ," Teppei grumbled under his breath. " _Instead of being so creepy about it…_ "

The first order of business was asking Katsuharu's group why they decided to stay in the Digital World three years ago despite being told countless times to go back. It wasn't exactly a difficult query for them to answer.

" _It's a whole new world!_ " Teppei exclaimed. " _We didn't want to leave when we had just arrived!_ "

Teruo scratched the side of his head and crossed his arms. " _Actually… I stayed because… something was telling me to stay. I don't know. Maybe it was just a weird gut feeling of mine. But honestly speaking, I was really scared of everything yet I couldn't tell my feet to go back on the Trailmon._ "

" _Come to think of it, I had a similar feeling_ ," Katsuharu nodded.

" _During our adventure_ ," Chiaki confessed, " _I felt like I was… searching… for something. That feeling intensified when we met you guys._ "

Teruo rubbed his chin for a bit in thought. " _Now that you mention it…_ "

The six Legendary Warriors shared a knowing smile before turning back to the phone. Aside from the twins, they each raised up their D-Tectors and bright gray, brown, green, and blue lights flashed. Suddenly… nothing.

" _Wha… What happened?!_ " Samson's voice reached out. " _It's like they're in a trance! They're not saying anything!_ "

"They're… taking an exam," said Tommy.

JP snorted before rubbing their youngest member's head. "To get their Warriors' license."

It took a few seconds for this to register in the DigiDestineds' heads. "Eh?!"

 **January 2: Spirit World — 12:18 PM**

In hushed tones, the humanoid silhouettes floated through the town, gossiping about the strangers that dropped in on them. As for that group themselves, well, they didn't how they got there or why. They just remembered the last place they had been was a government building.

"Bonjourno!"

"Gah!"

In this flowery world, there was a watercolor sky and medieval-era hovels. Iridescent butterflies floated from one thing to another and as they passed over the group's line of sight, they almost missed the spiraling mountain made of cloud in the distance and sunflowers as tall as pine trees. So when a familiar face appeared to them in this bizarre world, they all sighed in relief.

"Zoey!" Chiaki breathed. "What are you doing here? What are _we_ doing here?"

Katsuharu butted in. " _Where_ is here?"

"The Spirit World," Kazemon answered, doing a twirl in the air. "And I'm not Zoey, sorry Chiaki. I'm pure Digimon." There was a pause as she realized what she said. "Well, more like the spirit of a Digimon… but I'm not a ghost! I'm not dead! Just… the remaining data of Sylph."

"Sylph?" Teppei frowned.

"An invisible spirit of air," Teruo defined.

Just then, they felt intense heat appear to the right of them and they turned to see Agunimon. "Actually, Sylph is the name that AncientKazemon prefers to go by."

"Okay… you answered two of our three questions so far," said Teppei, crossing his arms. "Can you tell us what _we're_ doing here now?"

"Please don't be rude to the beings that can obliterate us in one go," Teruo stated.

Kumamon appeared, skiing down from a perpendicular street and coming to a stop directly in front of them. Somehow, just being in his presence was bringing balance to the warmth they felt on their backs. "It's a reasonable question. But basically, you're here to find out if you have what it takes to be fellow Legendary Warriors."

It took a moment but when it processed through their brains, they were blown away. Once they had calmed down enough to stand up straight, they were split up into pairs, each with a different Legendary Warrior, and led in separate directions. They were to meet with their possible spirit partners.

According to the Warriors, until they found suitable hosts, the other four spirits will remain corrupted. Because of this, they're especially resistant to finding a human partner. Their only hope was Katsuharu's group being able to break through and bond with them.

"Why us though?" Katsuharu asked.

"Because of what you told Takuya and the others," Agunimon answered. He was leading the boy in the direction of a metropolis.

Teppei frowned. "What we told the others?"

Beetlemon nodded. "JP believes that you guys stayed because your DigiSouls were drawn to those of the other Warriors." They were hiking up a rocky mountain.

"What does that even mean?" Teruo inquired.

Kumamon pondered this a bit as they ducked under the overgrowth of the dense jungle. "It's kind of hard to explain but… to put it in layman's terms…"

"All humans and Digimon are connected?" Chiaki repeated.

Kazemon nodded as her companion placed her bare feet on the sandy beach. "And you guys just happened to be connected to the Legendary Warriors! ...In theory."

"In theory?!"

 **January 2: Shinjuku — 12:24 PM**

"You're slouching again."

It couldn't be helped. Just as Mimi was out the door of Hypnos, Daisy stopped her and attached weighted bracelets to her wrists. They were supposed to help her train while performing ordinary activities. At first, it wasn't so bad, but as time went on, they felt like they got heavier and heavier.

"I know," Mimi groaned, placing her hands on her lower spine and stretching before letting them rest on the table. "This is terrible for my posture."

The pair had stopped in local cafe to get some tea before continuing on their shopping excursion. They chose a booth so that Palmon could be hidden from view from the other patrons. They didn't exactly know where this venue stood on the whole Digimon debate. Better to be safe than sorry.

Jaarin swirled the tapioca bubbles at the bottom of her glass. "I have to admit, I'm a little surprised that my dad is training you guys. I never imagined you to be fighty type. Then again, you have been involved in fighting since… how long?"

"Nearly eight years," Mimi answered. "Though I do get long breaks in between Myotismon revivals."

"Another inside joke I don't understand."

Mimi couldn't help thinking about it. Just like many of their old enemies, it was likely that the sunlight-deficient villain had come back as well. Every time he has, he was stronger than the last time they fought. How much worse can the vampire get exactly?

Jaarin noticed how solemn the usually bubbly girl became. Even Palmon stopped slurping down on her strawberry parfait and just stared into space. Actually, it was kind of a scary expression on the plant Digimon's face while her partner just looked out the window forlornly.

"Are you two okay?" Jaarin asked, getting their attention. "It's unnatural for you guys to be so quiet."

Mimi blinked and turned back to her classmate. "Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about the time I was held hostage at the rec center."

"Wait, what?"

"You have got to finish the show."

"Hey! I'm halfway there!"

"The first season!"

The two of them paid for their beverages and continued going down the street. Light flurries dropped from the skies, none of it stuck to the streets which was honestly a relief. It's pretty to look at but once you graduate middle school, you start to see it as an obstruction on the street.

They climbed up the steps of the pedestrian bridge to cross to the other side where a popular clothing store just opened up. As they watched their breath escape from their lips, Jaarin remembered something she saw on the news a few nights ago.

"By the way, have you heard of the Midnight Prince?"

Mimi shook her head. Having been so busy training and fighting, she hadn't had the time to sit down and just turn on the TV. "Is that a new drama or something?"

"An urban legend," Jaarin corrected.

"You mean like the headless rider in Ikebukuro?" said Mimi.

"That's right," Jaarin giggled before continuing. "Supposedly, every night, a beautiful prince will appear before an ordinary person and whisk her away from the stress of daily life. They say that a fog sets in around your ankles and then you'll hear the sound of horse hooves hitting the ground before a pumpkin carriage stops in front of you."

"Like in _Cinderella_?"

"I guess so."

Urban legends don't just pop up out of nowhere. Someone would have to start spreading rumors. But she hadn't heard about any recent kidnappings. Hypnos had been keeping track of news sites and channels to make sure Digimon wasn't being slandered too harshly but they also had to watch for unusual events in case they might be tied into Digimon. A string of abductions sounds like it would fit into unusual. So this was probably just a myth.

Mimi adjusted her purse on her shoulder. "Do you believe in it?"

"No way," Jaarin chuckled. "But with entrance exams coming up, I honestly wouldn't mind a prince spiriting me away."

The Chosen Child stopped in her tracks, right on the steps. "You don't mean that."

"Hm?" Jaarin paused, looking up at her friend. "Micchan... what's wrong?"

When Jaarin found out that Suzie had been taken by the enemy, the elder sister was absolutely devastated. It took a whole twenty-four hours before she started eating again and another after that for her to hang out with her friends. After that, she started saying things like, "My sister's strong! Who do you think you're talking about?" She was certain Suzie was safe.

"If something like that happened… How would you greet your sister when she returned?" said Mimi.

"Micchan…"

Mimi shook her head, giving her a small smile. "Sorry, I know it's just cynical humor and you're not serious but I really hate that." She laughed awkwardly. "Though I should be used to it, almost all of my friends have made jokes like that and entrance exams _are_ a lot of pressure!"

"You like when people are honest with their feelings, right?" Jaarin laughed. "It must be difficult… It's like every other person masks their pain with self-deprecating humor."

"Jaarin…"

In the middle of the steps, Mimi pulled her classmate in close and embraced her tightly, almost afraid to let go. But in that moment, things became silent. No cars passed under the bridge, pedestrians were nowhere to be seen, and the television sets went blank at a shop window. Mimi and Jaarin had no time to think before they heard someone call out their names.

"Out of the way!" Palmon screamed from at the top of the bridge. "Poison Ivy!"

The girls were lifted off the stairs just as they exploded. They both stayed remarkably calm though the initial shock did cause them to involuntarily yelp in surprise. But as they landed, they looked over the side of the bridge to find a man standing on the sidewalk, staring right at them.

"Wh… Who is that?!" Jaarin screeched.

"A humanoid Digimon," Mimi grimaced. "Either that, or it's a demon. But according to Kuroku, they can't enter our world."

"A-A demon?!"

The figure raised his hand and swung it in an arc like he was pitching a ball but instead, red energy burst from his fingertips. Like a whip, the energy nearly struck down the trio had they not possessed the reflexes to dodge it. Though looking back, they could see that the bridge was cracked clean in half.

Mimi and Palmon glanced at each other and they knew exactly what kind of enemy they were up against. Fate was a cruel mistress. Or was it irony in this case?

"Myotismon," Mimi hissed. "Closer to a demon than an actual demon." She grabbed Jaarin's hand. "We have to make a run for it. Do you have any free running skills?"

Jaarin raised a brow. "You're asking me if _I_ have free running skills? The girl who made a parkour video over the summer."

"Less talking, more running!" Palmon ordered.

The girls took off just as another Crimson Lightning attack struck down on them. Without taking a moment to catch their breath, they leapt off the railing, grabbed onto a lamppost and swung themselves onto the awning of a hotel. Using the momentum from the trampoline-like structure, they latched onto windowsills and scaled the brick building like they were on a rock climbing wall.

"This would be so much easier without these weights," Mimi groaned.

"Would it also help if I wasn't hanging onto your back?" Palmon asked.

They made it to the roof but only to find that Myotismon was already there, stripped of his disguise and smiling menacingly at the group. Mimi wasn't quite sure why she forgot that he could fly but it did remind her of someone else who could. And it would also lift some weight off her shoulders… literally.

"Palmon Digivolve to… Togemon! Digivolve to… Lillymon!"

"Distract him," Mimi stated. "Give me time to get Jaarin out of here. Don't try to be the hero and beat him. You can't on your own."

The fairy nodded before glaring down her opponent. They had faced off before and she lost so quick one wouldn't even call it a battle at all. So she had desired a rematch for a while and it was a good chance to put her training to use. Yet she also knew that she stood no chance against him at the moment. So her priority was keeping her partner and their friend safe.

Myotismon's smirk widened when he saw that Lillymon was his foe. It brought back a rush of memories that he relished so much. The crying children in the rec center, the panicked parents nearby, and the absolute look of fear on the Digimon he defeated. It was such a shame that the nasty expressions that the women shot towards him were the complete opposite of the ones he received all those years ago.

"I'll make sure you feel that fear again."

-X-

 **The Chosen Children are training their butts off in order to topple over the evil Demon Lords but they are just humans. Will they be able to pull it off? To make matters worse, Myotismon has finally made his appearance! This was probably the one enemy that Tai and the others were tired of seeing again. So how will they manage to defeat him this time? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **This chapter has been so incredibly draining. Well, no, correction. The process was draining. I've been swamped with real life work and personal problems popped in from every corner. The newest Sentai has been pretty disappointing so far though not awful. There are points where I do enjoy it. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review down below! I need them to get through the rest of this hellish semester.**


	28. In the Face of Despair

**Zero Unit** : *Sighs*

 **Kari** : What's wrong Zero? Is it the lack of reviews?

 **Zero Unit** : Partially, yes. But also, I tried writing a fight scene but nothing good came out of it. I think I'm starting to lose my touch. This semester has been so chaotic that I haven't been able to write for fun in a long time. To make matters worse, I don't have a skit prepared for today!

 **Kouji** : Our mailbox is empty too so we have no questions to answer.

 **Thomas** : So do we… just move on to the chapter?

 **Jeri** : We can't do that! Zero hasn't written it yet!

 **Everyone** : Eh?!

 **Zero Unit** : Oh… well… I haven't been feeling motivated or inspired to write due to this hectic semester. I'm thinking of going on hiatus.

 **Matt** : But if you do that, we might end up as one of your forgotten stories!

 **Veemon** : We can't let that happen! We have to inspire him!

 **Zenjirou** : He's falling into despair!

 **TK** : He needs hope!

 _The lights go off and the sound of footsteps are heard from the door. As it flies open, flooding the room with a bright white light, a Japanese man with a black leather jacket and brown hair steps in. He's wearing a belt buckle in the shape of a hand and a ring in the same design._

 **Souma Haruto** : *Holds up a ring* I will be the hope you need.

 **Zero Unit** : *Raspy* Kamen Rider… Wizard…

 **Rika** : *Exasperated* Let me guess… Your latest obsession.

 **Zero Unit** : *Weakly but triumphantly* You... got that right. Isn't he… pretty?

 **Souma Haruto** : *Turns to audience* Please enjoy today's chapter which Zero will write once I've fixed him. Now... *With a flourish* It's showtime!

-X-

 **January 21: Odaiba — 12:59 PM**

Regardless of where you stood in the metropolis, everyone could see the behemoth rising over the skyscrapers, laughing maniacally. What they probably didn't see was the hole that suddenly appeared in Odaiba, next to the beach. That's where the monster reared his hideous head.

People remembered the sickening grin that the giant wore. The elongated arms that reached down and destroyed their beloved city. The hairy legs that divided the streets and crushed vans and demolished buildings. It was the devil's hour, six hours early.

Terrified screams filled the air as people tried to run away from the beast. But to their horror, the colossus reached down, scooped up a random man and his bike, and tossed him into his jaws. Had one been close enough, they would've heard a crunch and the sudden halt to the man's cry.

"You can't escape," the monster bellowed. "All of you pathetic humans are a buffet to me! So line up and prepare yourself because I'm hungry!"

He repeated the last word over and over again as he swiped down to the ground, lifting up more and more innocent umans. Some struggled, some were resigned to their fate, but most just screamed the whole way up. For them, the nightmarish expression of their killer would be the last thing they see.

But before he could chew on their flesh, a ball of energy struck him on the face, causing him to drop his victims. They were caught by Garudamon and MegaKabuterimon before they could get flattened onto the concrete and asphalt.

"Are you okay?" Sora shouted over the rush of the wind.

Izzy felt like retching when he saw a shaking grade schooler in the arms of his mother. As he tried to reach out to them to calm them down, the parent turned away, shouting in his face. Her voice was cracked, broken, and completely untethered.

"Stay away! Just put us down and stay away!" she screeched.

The teenager swallowed, giving them their space. "I'm sorry, ma'am."

The pair took off, leaving the fight to WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon. Joe was there too, but he was busy evacuating the civilians and making sure no one hurt themselves while fleeing. Zudomon stood with his back to the enemy, prepared to use his hard shell to protect the frightened people. Not that they saw the giant walrus to be any safer than the fifty-foot cryptid.

Racing in on the back of Dorulumon was Akari and holding on to her was Zenjirou. Obviously, two Megas wouldn't be enough to defeat an enemy like VenomMyotismon. As soon as they dismounted, they brought out their partners and evolved them.

"JagerDorulumon!" "AtlurBallistamon!"

"Joe-san!" Zenjirou called out. "Leave this to us! You focus on leading the civilians out of here!"

The older male nodded in response. As much as he hated to admit it, the young Generals were stronger than he was at this point in time. He just wished the people would believe that he was trying to help. Some were frozen in fear, eyes on Zudomon's horn and teeth.

There had been a time when Joe would've reacted the same way. As the first sign of danger, he would turn tail and flee in the opposite direction, probably screaming like a maniac. Hell, he would've done that at the first sign of dark red fluid, thinking it was blood. But he's grown up a lot since then and whether these people wanted it or not, he would help them. He would protect them.

"I just hope Mimi's okay," he muttered to himself.

 **January 21: Minato — 1:00 PM**

"Oh no you don't!"

ShineGreymon shot down from the sky, crashing right into MaloMyotismon who had been heading towards Tokyo Tower. The dragon dragged the undead Digimon away from the terrified civilians, kicking up asphalt like sand and crushing buildings like cardboard. In the meantime, Marcus was fist fighting the Voidlings that were creeping out from the cracks in the sidewalk.

"So that's MaloMyotismon," Yoshino shuddered.

She could remember the first and only time she saw this guy was on the television screen. To her, it was unbelievable that the show was being marketed towards children when the screams that Arukenimon released were still seared into her memories. It didn't matter how you felt towards the manipulative arachnid, the point was, she paid the ultimate price and more for her loyalty.

"He's far more grotesque in person," Thomas grimaced. "At least they only animated him when it was shown on TV."

Marcus had to retreat when he realized there were too many armed Voidlings against an unarmed him. "I could really use some help here!"

"You should've put on the armor that Shibumi and the others gave us!" Yoshino chided.

Marcus pouted. "But it doesn't feel right unless I feel my foe against the skin of my knuckles!"

"Barbarian," Thomas scoffed.

"What was that?!"

"Crimson Mist!"

Before the boys could go at each other, ShineGreymon suddenly flew over their heads and crashed into a nearby semi truck. He was covered in some sort of red acid that seemed to be melting parts of his metallic armor. Immediately, Rosemon went to help him while MirageGaogamon distracted their enemy.

Out of every version of Myotismon, this one was by far the most dangerous. Perhaps he didn't have the same physical capabilities as VenomMyotismon but he was cruel and calculating, similar to his original form. To make things worse, he was much more direct in his approach to torture and destroy.

Grabbing MirageGaogamon's wrist, despite the wolf's speed, MaloMyotismon slammed the Mega into the ground, forming a crater and shaking the earth. Thomas winced as he watched his partner get thrown into the air before getting hit in the stomach. MirageGaogamon struck a building but he quickly hugged it to make sure it wouldn't fall onto the screaming citizens.

"Quick! Go!" MirageGaogamon grunted. "Get out of there!"

MaloMyotismon cackled as he approached the immobile Digimon. Rosemon was too far away to come to the rescue and ShineGreymon was still a little dazed from the previous attack. But thankfully, they weren't the only ones there.

"Double Hellfire!"

Several bullets hit MalosMyotismon in the side, sending him flying away from MirageGaogamon. From down the street, a humanoid figure was charging in with twin gunswords at his side. Somehow, he was dressed as dapper as Astamon but as depraved as Yasyamon. Like a zombie businessman.

"You can let go of the building now!" Airu called from down below.

MirageGaogamon was tentative until he saw tentacles weaving their way through the infrastructure. Moving away from the building he saw Parasimon beside his Hunter, keeping the structure from falling. Now he can focus on the enemy again.

 **January 21: Spirit World Ocean — 1:01 PM**

Chiaki didn't like the idea of being apart from Kazemon. It was like that first day of pre-school, having to let go of your mother's hand and enter the doors of a place you've never been before.

But specifically for Chiaki, she was reminded of the time her father took her to the community pool for the first time. He told her that the only way to learn something was to dive right in. Sure, she'd been taking classes and all but there was no way she could swim in the deep end. No way. But the next thing she remembered, she was screaming for her father to get her out as water found its way into her lungs.

"Hey, are you okay?" Kazemon asked, gently prodding the girl. "You froze up. Are… you afraid of water?"

It wouldn't be the first time a human host feared their element but it was certainly inconvenient. There's no way the spirit would take too kindly to someone who was afraid of her natural habitat. But Chiaki furiously shook her head, surprising the Warrior.

"Sorry," she said. "Just… thinking about things."

Kazemon knew the expression well. Her own partner would often make that face when something from the past was haunting her. "We don't have to see Ranamon now if you're not up to it."

"No," Chiaki huffed. "I want to help Zoey and the others in any way I can."

All she had to do was step into the ocean and she would have the Warrior of Water's undivided attention. Walking into the cold water, making her wince, the waves suddenly lapped at her jeans faster. As if they were trying to push her back onto dry land.

"Ranamon's not the friendliest girl," Kazemon remarked.

Chiaki knew all about it from the stories Zoey shared. But at the same time, she felt calm after taking a few more steps. Without even realizing it, she was already waist deep but it didn't feel cold anymore. There was something inviting about it.

"You'll drown if you come closer, darling," a voice she didn't recognize giggled.

Chiaki stopped and to her horror, she was already chest deep. Stumbling, she fell backwards and into the water where she felt a pair of arms wrap around her body. Her face was lifted so that she could take in a few gulps of air and when she opened her eyes, she saw Kazemon letting out a breath of relief.

"Ranamon, you saved her!" Kazemon gasped.

A new face appeared right beside Chiaki's, nearly giving her a heart attack. But it was looking upwards, at the fairy floating right above them. Puckering up lips, she spit some seawater at Kazemon's face. This… had to be Ranamon.

"I've already told you, you overgrown pixie!" Ranamon snapped. "I ain't helping you and your gang of ragamuffins!"

"If we want to use the full power of the Legendary Warriors then we _need_ your help!" Kazemon pleaded.

Chiaki was placed back on shore but before Ranamon could swim away, the girl lunged forward and latched onto the Warrior's shoulder. Ranamon glared at Chiaki but the teenager didn't let go as she made her position on the damp sand more comfortable.

"I know… we don't know each other…," said Chiaki. "And I know I'm weak… but please! There are… things here I want to protect. And I can't do it without you."

Ranamon reached over and flicked Chiaki's forehead with a finger. "You're even stupider than blondie."

"Hey!" Kazemon shouted.

"When trying to get someone to help you, you're supposed to offer them something," Ranamon explain with a knowing smile. "All you've done is tell me _why_ you need me. But if nothing's in it for me, then I'm not interested. However, because you're so desperate for my help, that just means the price has been driven up." She spun around so fast that Chiaki had to jump backwards, falling on her back. "So…," Ranamon chuckled, raising Chiaki's chin up so that they were eye to eye. "What do you have to offer?"

"Offer?!" Kazemon blanched. "The Demon Lords are out to take over the world!"

"Yeah, but the Spirit World is safe," Ranamon scoffed. "Plus, it's not like I'm friends with blondie or anything so I've got no obligation to come to the rescue, do I?"

Chiaki didn't seem to be paying attention to the arguing women as she was too busy thinking. "Offer…" All the stories that Zoey told her about this corrupted Warrior came flooding back to her but Ranamon seemed to only desire three things, beauty, attention, and the destruction of her enemies. And at the moment, she technically didn't have any enemies.

"I… don't have anything," Chiaki admitted.

"Hm?" Ranamon blinked, turning away from her petty spat. "That's what I thought. Now if you ladies…"

"But, together, you will gain something," Chiaki interjected before Ranamon could leave.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Chiaki glanced up at Kazemon before solidifying her stance against Ranamon. While the Warrior had the appearance of a human woman, it felt like she was standing in the face of a rocky ocean in the middle of a raging storm. But she wasn't a little kid anymore, she could stand up to it. That's what helped her stand on the same field as the rest as the swim team despite only being their manager.

"Pride," Chiaki answered confidently, "as a Warrior. Just as you make me stronger, I will make you stronger."

"You?" Ranamon guffawed.

"Yes, me!" she snapped back. "You're always cowering behind someone bigger. If not that, then you rely on underhanded tactics to get what you want. If you won't fight to protect something, then fight for yourself. Prove to me, to Kazemon, to everyone that you can handle it! Because right now… you're nothing more than a single krill in a sea of whales."

Ranamon stared back at the girl coldly before snorting and laughing raucously. "A single krill in a sea of whales?! Where'd you come up with that one?!"

"H-Hey! It's not funny! I'm trying to be serious here!"

Kazemon floated closer to the blushing Chiaki's side. "You have to admit, it was a really bad line."

"Alright," said Ranamon, calming down. "I'll help."

"Eh?!"

"But only because you reminded me of what blondie said to me before beating me," Ranamon cut in. "I want to prove to that twit that I've still got my honor as a Legendary Warrior. And if working with you is the way to do that, fine. But let me warn you, girlie, if you start rubbing me the wrong way, I'll be isolating myself in this ocean."

Chiaki was stunned but not enough to nod in response. Even now, Zoey was helping her, albeit indirectly and unknowingly. "I'll prove myself to you. I promise."

 **January 21: Spirit World Forest — 1:01 PM**

Teruo had to somehow convince Arbormon to lend them his power. But how was he supposed to do that? The boy couldn't even make an impression on any of his classmates so how was he supposed to do so on a corrupted spirit?

Average appearance, average intelligence, average athleticism, and average economic status. Nothing about him ever stood out.

One day, Teruo was asked to join the drama club. He knew it was because they were short on members due to there being a lack of actors for the next play. But he wanted to believe that he was approached for a reason. However, whenever Teruo shared the stage with anybody, he would be completely outshined. At worst, he would be blinded too.

Kumamon came to a halt at what appeared to be a colorful cornucopia of various fruit. Automatically, Teruo could recognize the bananas, pineapples, apples, and oranges. The one thing he couldn't identify was the humanoid figure chowing down from the very top.

"I'm guessing that's Arbormon," Teruo concluded.

"Yup," Kumamon nodded. "He's pretty gluttonous so it's no surprise he would be stuffing his face."

"Heard that teddy!" Arbormon snapped.

Kumamon jolted backwards to avoid getting hit by a tangerine. The toss was so strong that it burst into citric acid and juice upon impact. The polar bear was able to avoid the splatter but Teruo's pant leg did not have the same luck.

"Wh… Whoa…," Teruo gulped. He knew the Warriors were strong from his firsthand encounter with them but he hadn't expected a partnerless Spirit to be the same.

"I told you, teddy," Arbormon stated. "I'm not helping you or those kiddies do anything. Just let me stay in the background of this battleground."

"Background?"

Arbormon seemed to have finally taken note of Teruo's presence. "And you think this kid is my partner? I almost didn't even see him there. Stealth's a great talent you got but it isn't going to help you none. You should just go home and forget about Digimon. Maybe the Demon Lords will overlook you too."

Teruo took a deep breath before shakily saying, shouting the last few words, "I… I don't want to be a background character!"

"T-Teruo?" Kumamon blinked. He's never heard the boy raise his voice before. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well… no, I'm… fine with being in the background," Teruo admitted, quieting down, staring at the soil. "What I'm not okay with is standing there _all_ the time."

At first, Teruo focused on editing the script and prop work since he was way to shy to actually act on the stage. He'd only ever been in one production and that was in second grade where he played a tree because he was one of the taller boys. Though he apparently peaked back then because afterwards, his height only attributed to his status as a background character.

"Even a tree can shine too, can't it?"

"Huh?"

Teruo looked up and took several steps back, tripping over a root and falling to his butt when he realized that he was a mere centimeter away from Arbormon. The Warrior had been perched in front of him like a cat waiting for its owner to awaken. Not to mention, looking straight into the shadows of his hat made it seem like Teruo was staring right into an endless abyss with only two specks of light as his guide.

"Teruo!" Kumamon gasped, helping him up. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he nodded in response.

Arbormon stood up, moving his arms to the back of his head. "Listen kid, you're no tree. You're lucky you're not a seed. You're just a sapling. Frail, easy to break, just one person needs to step on you and you're done for. Capiche? So forget about this whole save the world business and just have a snack or something."

"In that case," said Teruo, just as Arbormon turned his back, "what does it take for me to grow?"

"Hm?"

"If I'm just a sapling… then that means there's room for me to grow. So… what does it take?"

"How should I know?" Arbormon shrugged. "That's up to you."

Teruo ran forward to place himself in between the Spirit and the cornucopia. "Then what if I _choose_ to become a Warrior? What if I choose to grow up in that way? And if you end up finding that I'll grow into a tree strong enough to support you and take center stage… will you accept me as your partner then?"

"...You're quite the annoying sapling," Arbormon huffed. "But fine. You get a one battle trial run. If you can shine despite being a background character, then we'll talk again."

Relief washed over the boy as he bowed in respect. "Th-Thank you!"

"Yeah, yeah, now can you hand me that pomelo?"

 **January 21: Spirit World Mountain — 1:01 PM**

Teppei had to say that he didn't exactly fancy being held by a humanoid armored beetle as he was taken up the steep incline. But he didn't exactly have a choice. It was way too dangerous for him to try and climb without proper equipment.

"Hey," Teppei grumbled. "We've passed by that same cave three times now. Don't you think we should go in?"

Beetlemon shook his head. "Grumblemon never stays in one spot for too long. I thought I'd check his other hangouts first."

It didn't seem like they were making much progress just circling the mountain though so he finally decided to land at the cave entrance. Holding up a fist, it lit up with a bright yellow light as if it was one giant sparkler, lighting up the darkness. Teppei had to take a few steps back when the sparks started licking at him though.

The boy tried to find the end of the cavern but didn't see anything but more blackness. "So how far does—?"

"Look out!"

The wall to their right exploded just as Beetlemon made him hit the deck. Immediately after, the humanoid insect spun around and crossed his arms in front of him to block the hammer that the strange dwarf-gnome creature tried to smash them with. Actually, now that Teppei thought about it, this was probably Grumblemon.

"Grumblemon told you," Grumblemon grumbled. "Stay off mountain!"

"Why do I feel like there's been too many 'grumble's in one sentence even though he only said it once?" Teppei muttered.

Honestly speaking, the little gnome didn't look as cool as the others. But appearance aside, there was also the bratty attitude that Grumblemon was displaying. Then there's that awful Japanese of his. With all three of those qualities put together, it made it difficult for Teppei to not want to punch the Warrior right in his oversized nose.

Staring back, Grumblemon smirked. "Is this who you think Grumblemon human? He twig! Grumblemon can snap in half with two finger."

Teppei's eyes flared behind his glasses but Beetlemon held out a hand to stop the human from making a grave mistake. No matter how tough he was, no matter how many kids in the schoolyard thought he was strong, it meant nothing to someone like Grumblemon. Best-case scenario, he'd get a hit in. Worst-case, he'd lose a part of his face.

"Can't you be civil for once in your life?" Beetlemon huffed though he gave Grumblemon no time to answer. "You should at least talk to Teppei before brushing him off."

Teppei crossed his arms and turned away. "I think I changed my mind about this whole thing. No way am I partnering up with an annoying dirtball like this."

"Huh?" Grumblemon blanched. "What? Human thinks he too good for Grumblemon?"

"Curdled milk is too good for you!"

Beetlemon watched as electricity sparked between the two pairs of eyes. But since it was his element, he grabbed it like it was a piece of sparkly thread and tied it into a pretzel. Not that either Grumblemon or Teppei took notice.

After a while, Grumblemon seemed to get tired of their staring contest and turned away with a disgruntled harrumph. Without moving, he seemed to burrow into the ground and away from the other two. The mountain was silent and the miniscule Warrior showed now signs of coming out.

"Ah…," Beetlemon uttered, dropping the electric pretzel. "No matter how you look at it… this is…"

Teruo let out a sigh, hanging his head. "...a mission failed."

 **January 21: Spirit World City — 1:01 PM**

Katsuharu wasn't expecting to find himself riding an elevator up to the highest floor of the tallest building. How was he supposed to expect the doors to open to a lavish complex with a gorgeous view of the city skyline? Or the classy, zebra-print couch placed aesthetically in the center of the tiled-floor living room? Or the trophy case filled with golden and silver statuettes of all ten Warriors?

"A few of them will undergo a change soon."

Katsuharu pivoted away from the glass case to find a glass man standing before them. The human was able to see his face reflected in this strange Digimon's. But it wasn't strange to see that. Rather, a sense of comfort washed over him.

"You're… Mercurymon," he said.

"And you're my partner," Mercurymon chuckled. "It's funny, I imagined you taller."

Agunimon placed a hand on Katsuharu's shoulder. "Mercurymon readily agreed to help us. But he said he wouldn't share what he knew about the Demon Lords until he met you."

For some reason, this was the one thing that didn't surprise Katsuharu. Maybe it was because they were already connected by some unknown, supernatural force. Though he couldn't say it was something he had always known. Just something he figured out upon seeing the Digimon.

"You said some of the statues would change," said Katsuharu. "What did you mean by that?"

Mercurymon took a few steps forward before stopping just a foot away from the boy. Now, he could see his entire body reflected against the Warrior's.

"Did the boy of darkness tell you about how he used to look like?" Mercurymon asked. "A corrupted form that was incredibly tasteless. Although… I suppose I can say the same about myself. The form you see before you is not Ferro's true form."

"Ferro?" Katsuharu frowned.

"AncientWisetmon," Agunimon explained. "Ferro was probably the most rational of the Warriors. He always looked at things logically before making any big decisions for himself or those he governed. So if Mercurymon decided to join us from the get-go, I can only assume that that means he thinks we can beat the Demon Lords."

"On the contrary, I believe you're insane and in way over your heads," Mercurymon corrected.

"Eh?"

"But…," Mercurymon continued, leading into his explanation. "I also think that you've proven to have turned around near-impossible situations in the past. So… I plan on putting my trust in you. No matter how irrational it may be."

Katsuharu ignored Agunimon's pouting in favor of learning more. "What makes you think we can't win?"

"Other than the fact that I know the Demon Lords well?" Mercurymon chuckled. "Do you know how they're controlling so many prideful and cocky Digimon? Aside from fear, they're tempting them with power that rivals, perhaps surpasses, their own."

"Surpasses?"

Katsuharu couldn't say he was the smartest in his friend group but that didn't sound right. "Why would they offer such a thing?"

Merycurymon shrugged though the smirk remained on his face. "Who knows? However, what they wanted from _us_ was to cause as much despair as possible. And supposedly, there was another Demon Lord, one that embodied such emotion. Perhaps they wanted us to cause despair and bring about their birth. As I said, it's an enticing deal and any Digimon lusting for power would jump at the chance to obtain it."

"So you think it's just a way of keeping the strong Digimon in check?" asked Agunimon.

"Again, it's all hypothesis," said Mercurymon. "But to be quite honest, the power of a Demon Lord doesn't interest me. Instead… I would like to know… What is it like to use Ferro's full power again?" He touched his chest, which in the reflection looked as though he had a palm pressed to Katsuharu's heart. "However… I only have half of Ferro's soul. You... have the other."

"So you're only teaming up with us because you're curious."

"That's fine," said Katsuharu, bringing the Warriors' attention back to him. He wore a smug smile on his face. "Once you satiate your curiosity… you'll find that no other power is stronger or gives you more fulfillment than ours together."

"Confident one," Mercurymon chuckled. "And yet... I am compelled to agree."

 **January 21: Shinjuku — 1:01 PM**

Myotismon could tell that the flower fairy has received some type of formal training. Her form was much more refined and the way she moved held an elegance that it hadn't before. Of course, none of that meant anything if she couldn't hit her target.

When Lillymon missed for the umpteenth time, she flew backwards a few feet before connecting her hands. "Flower Cannon!"

Three energy shots were fired in rapid succession. If this was three years ago, just shooting twice would put enormous amounts of strain on her arms, as if she was shooting a shotgun. So this was a good sign of her improvement though her enemy had also gotten stronger since their last showdown.

"Crimson Lightning!"

Lillymon didn't waste any time while Myotismon shielded himself from her attack. Launching herself into the sky to avoid the whip, she shot down from the apex of her arc, prepared to land a devastating kick. However, Myotismon caught it with a palm and then flung her to the side where she proceeded to roll back onto her hands and feet.

"Lillymon!"

The Ultimate jerked her head to see her partner returning. That must've meant that Jaarin was already relocated to a safe spot. "Mimi! Stay back! He's much stronger than last time!"

Myotismon's pupils darted to the left, in the direction of the human. Whipping around, he flicked his wrist and a streak of red flashed through the air. Mimi tumbled out of the way but it still managed to lick her elbow, cutting it open and covering the concrete rooftop with drops of her blood.

"Oh?" Myotismon chuckled. "So the human's done some training too. The naked eye shouldn't have seen that."

Lillymon immediately appeared by her partner's side. "Mimi! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Mimi nodded. "It's just a scratch." Through the way her fingertips were stained deep red and the way she clutched at her injury suggested otherwise. "Focus on the enemy."

Myotismon turned to the women just as a gunshot rang through the air. Immediately, the vampire took to the skies as a bullet and an arrow hit the spot he just stood upon. But he wasn't in the clear yet as a massive mechanical bee and an oriental dragon appeared above him.

"Every Direction Wheel!"

"Sky Rocket Infinity!"

The sky was alight with an intensely white flash and their ears were flooded with the sound of a hundred fireworks going off at once. But if Mimi knew Myotismon, then he definitely would've survived an attack from just two Ultimates. And she was proven right when the humanoid Digimon appeared out of the smoke and landed close to her.

"Yo," a teenaged Rai grinned. She wrapped her arms around Lillymon and Mimi and they suddenly vanished.

Myotismon frowned. "Teleportation?"

From above, a dark cloud rumbled before shooting down a lightning bolt. The vampire tumbled out of the way before finding himself staring at a massive group of enemy fighters. All six of the Monster Makers, three Ultimate Digimon, three Champions, and of course, Tachikawa Mimi.

"Gennai only got two of our keys up and running," said Robert. "So unfortunately, we don't have a whole team of Ultimates."

Darcmon spun her blade around in her hand. "Doesn't mean us Champions can't hold our own."

"Yeah!" Seadramon roared. "Just leave things to us."

"Alright, but don't do anything too reckless," Daisy warned.

"You're in no position to talk," Shibumi chuckled.

Mimi wished she could banter with the adults but for some reason, she was the only one who could feel how dire this situation was. No, correction, Rai could tell as well. The temperature seemed to have dropped several degrees with just Myotismon's smug grin facing off with Wizardmon's trembling glare. But there was also something else in that expression.

Myotismon flamboyantly spread out his arms as if welcoming them. "Well, well, well, it is an honor to meet the very first DigiDestined. Though I never expected to find a former subordinate of mine to be amongst you. I must say… I am thoroughly overjoyed."

"This time," Wizardmon breathed, gripping his staff until it looked like his gloves would tear. "This time I'll stop you from hurting anyone else."

"Is that how you talk to your former master?" Myotismon grinned. "Or murderer?" Opening his cape wide, a swarm of bats flapped their ways towards the group.

"Defensive and evasive maneuvers!" Robert commanded.

They were immediately surrounded in a black blur as they stood back to back. Daisy and Babel fired their long-range weapons, shooting down a couple but not enough to count for much. Wizardmon and Rai were able to knock down much more with their lightning bolts. Robert and Shibumi leapt out of the blur with their weapons swinging but they had lost sight of Myotismon when they got out.

"Where'd he go?" Robert frowned.

Hisyaryumon, his dragon partner flew out and changed forms, into a giant sword. "Behind you!"

"Crimson Lightning!"

Usually, the legendary weapon wouldn't even be scratched from an Ultimate's attack. But this time, he was practically flung across the sky and almost off the building had he not turned back to normal. Robert took this chance to lung forward, stabbing with his polearm but Myotismon caught the sharpened end without his unsettling smile faltering.

Shibumi swung his scythe in an arc but the vampire stomped down on it with his boot. The men tried to use their fists to get some hits in. However, with his one free hand, Myotismon backhanded Robert's punch into Shibumi's face before slamming his knee into the westerner's chin.

From behind, Seadramon attempted to strike by whipping his tail into the vampire. But Myotismon, despite being preoccupied with two opponents, wrapped his arms around the serpent before reeling back, taking the Champion with him. Lillymon and Darcmon tried to help free him but with a strong flick, they were struck by the body of their friend and slammed into the concrete.

"I knew he was strong but this is ridiculous," Daisy groaned.

Having gotten rid of the bats, Mimi ran forward. Now free of her weights, her body felt lighter than before as she swung six consecutive punches at the enemy. Myotismon was able to dodge every single one of them with ease though before catching the last fist and slamming the heel of his boot into her stomach.

"Mimi!" Lillymon cried out. She had a clear shot at Myotismon's head as her partner doubled over though so she decided to take the chance. "Flower Cannon!"

The vampire lifted up the teenage girl like a limp noodle, using her as a human shield. Lillymon let out a gasp as she couldn't stop her energy blast now that it had already been fired. Thankfully, Wizardmon teleported to Mimi's side and swung his staff in a way that would force Myotismon to move back into range of the attack and the hostage out of it.

Myotismon let go of Mimi and flew up, avoiding the blast which exploded too close for comfort for Lillymon's friends. Wizardmon and Mimi rolled out of the smoke and nearly fell off the building had Daisy not saved them. Without needing to say anything, everyone knew that they were a mess of a team.

"It's been awhile since we fought together," Robert huffed. "But I didn't think we'd just fall all over each other like we used to."

Janyu hadn't moved much yet since entering the battlefield but it looked like he was just warming up. It seemed as though he had been meditating for the last few minutes while his partner protected him from stray attacks.

The master martial artist leapt onto the cannon of his partner, using it like a kickboard and shooting towards the vampire. Myotismon's fang glinted in the sun as he watched the bespectacled man soaring at him. But as he dodged the strike in midair, CannonBeemon suddenly appeared behind him, but not to attack. Janyu rebounded off his partner once more while the enormous machine continued to reposition him in places for the human to keep kicking off.

"Do you really think you can hit me while in the air?" Myotismon grinned, dodging a kick coming from below. "There's no one to protect you here! Crimson Lightning!"

Janyu didn't have to have the maneuverability of an avian to twist his body around. However, he didn't have to. Using his specially-designed gloves to grab the energy whip, he used it to change the direction of his assault. Once again bouncing off from his partner and actually landing a kick onto Myotismon's head thanks to the mobility the whip offered him.

"Hit him now!" CannonBeemon shouted. "Nitro Stinger!"

"Flower Cannon!"

"Every Direction Wheel!"

"Ice Blast!"

"Thunder Ball!"

Myotismon reeled his whip back before twirling it around his body. The ammunition bounced off of it like feathers being blown away by an electric fan. The icicle simply shattered into glittering shards, falling down onto Darcmon's head as she flew skywards, her blade shining as she aimed for the enemy's legs. It was a accurate enough strike to avoid being blocked by the Crimson Lightning.

"Dancing Sword!"

The caped villain struck the weapon out of the way with his foot without even looking. Then, with the same foot, he stomped down on Darcmon's face. It didn't have the same grace as his usual attacks but it somehow had enough strength to send the angel straight down through the building's roof and a few floors.

"What the—?!" Janyu frowned, landing next to the hole.

"How did he put so much power into that from point blank?" Rai gasped.

"Better question," Babel raised, "how do we beat this guy?"

Myotismon chuckled darkly as he floated back to the ground. Nervous sweats broke out on the foreheads of the humans as they raised their weapons of choice close to their bodies, making sure to stay defended. This was just an Ultimate! The Monster Makers told Tai and the others that they could handle it! But now… they weren't so sure.

"I hope you all realize how helpless you all are before me," Myotismon laughed. "Despair in this hopelessness! Despair! And feed it _all_ to me!"

Mimi had to admit, things did not seem optimal for them. But something had been bugging her for a while.

The timing in which he appeared, the rumor of a prince, and a news report from this morning about a woman's disappearance. There had been talk that she was suicidal and perhaps just killed herself in Aokigahara Forest. But not a single clue had been found at her workplace, apartment, or friends and family members. It was almost as though she never existed at all.

There had been a similar case in Hokkaido from a month ago, one Mimi remembered fairly clearly because Yoshino had been the officer assigned to it. But no clues ever turned up. It was a college student who had recently come out as gay. So people assumed that he was bullied soon afterward and perhaps even before, leading to suicide. But that time, there hadn't been any signs. His sister reported him to be pretty happy as far as she could tell. He had just been stressed because of school.

"Myotismon…," said Mimi. "You… You're the one who's been kidnapping people!"

The vampire cocked his head to the side. "Oh? I'm surprised you figured that out. Did reports of disappearances from other countries reach this puny island?"

"A string of kidnappings across the globe?" Daisy muttered. "In other words, they weren't centered in Japan. That's why no one could connect them!"

Rai placed a hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "Mimi, how did you…?"

"A hunch," Mimi replied, with a wink and a bubbly smile. "Plus, I used to watch a lot of magical girl shows and the bad guy's master plan was usually tied in with a conversation the main character has with her friends. Since Jaarin and I were talking about the Midnight Prince a little earlier and it matches Myotismon's M.O. from that time he drained blood from women a few years back… well, you can figure out the rest."

For just a second a vein appeared on Myotismon's forehead but only Lillymon seemed to notice before it vanished. Was he… angry? The vampire was never one to lose his cool before.

"I must say, out of all the Chosen Children, I must've despised you the most," said Myotismon. "First, the child of light stabbed me through the heart. Then there was Motomiya Daisuke who ruined my plans in the worst way possible! But I despised his positivity more than that. And you… you keep smiling and saying these happy things. Where is your despair?!"

"You're a lot easier to tick off," Mimi noted. "Anyway, you'll have to do a lot worse before you see me cry like I used to."

At this point, Darcmon had returned to the side of her partner. And everyone had gotten rid of the jitters that had taken over a moment ago. They were closing in on their opponent, from both the air and the ground. Each of them with their weapons raised, but not to defend, to attack.

"The people you abducted," said Shibumi, "where are they?"

Robert pointed his spear at the enemy. "I have a hard time believing you just chose random civilians and killed them."

"You're right…," Myotismon stated. "It's quite simple really, I take them, keep them as pets, and feed off their despair. But they end up producing more fear than anything else. However, thanks to that, even without the help of the Demon Lords, I can create these..." As if orchestrating a choir, the shadows around them rippled and rose, taking physical shape.

"Voidlings!" Daisy gasped.

"That's right," Myotismon smiled. "Now if what the Demon Lords tell me is right, then the DigiDestined produce the sweetest kind of emotions." He ran his tongue across his fangs and lips. "I'll be sure to eliminate your beloved Digimon and make sure to take your despair."

Wizardmon stood between his killer and his friends. "I won't let you separate partners ever again!"

"I'll take great pleasure in deleting you once more," Myotismon laughed in return.

-X-

 **Three versions of Myotismon have appeared in different districts in Tokyo. For some, the fights bring up old memories while for others, grudges return. As for the newest members of the Legendary Warriors, it seems one of them had trouble bonding with their spirit. Will Teppei be able to get Grumblemon on their side? Will they help out in the fight? Find out on the next on Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **Hey everyone, I know this chapter took a little longer than usual. I kept putting it off and finals were getting in the way. I also had to be the buffer between my brother and mom because we just started talking about the fact that he's trans. Which is totally territory for all of us.**

 **One more thing, I plan on doing an LGBT education skit next chapter since June is pride month. You see, a few days ago, I got a signed copy of the manga,** _ **Otouto no Otto**_ **(** _ **My Brother's Husband**_ **), by a legend in the gay manga world, Gengoroh Tagame. He mentioned that he believed that a lot of homophobic microaggressions come from ignorance. So if any of you feel like there's something you don't totally understand about the queer community, then ask in the form of a review or PM me and I'll hopefully have an answer in the skit.**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I will be trying extra hard to get the next chapter up before June is over. Also, as always, for all those that are graduating, congratulations, keep working hard, and good luck with your future endeavors. Leave a review and I'll see you all next time! Bye!**


	29. Just Count on Us!

**Zero Unit** : As I said last chapter, this skit is dedicated to LGBT education. It's just a simple, civil discussion to clear up misconceptions and things like that. This panel is going to be hosted by me, the gay man. Tachikawa Mimi, the don't-really-care-what-you-call-me-sexual. Her words, not mine. And adult Kanbara Shinya, from my _Love or Lust_ story, who has promised to keep things PG for the sake of the rating. We also have special guest, Oren Pierre Alfonzo, from Kamen Rider Gaim.

 **Mimi** : Time for enlightenment everyone!

 **Adult Shinya** : Okay, but technically, everything we say comes from Zero's mind. I can't swear even if I want to.

 **Oren** : Bonjour! My darlings!

 **Zero** : I'll just be asking you guys questions that gay people have been asked about before. Or I'll bring up stereotypes and misconceptions and it'll be up to you guys to educate and gently try to dissipate those misunderstandings. This means tone down the sass.

 **Shinya** : *To Mimi* Why is he staring at us?

 **Zero** : First, who is the man and the woman in the relationship?

 **Mimi** : *Snorts* Well… *Stops, noticing Zero's stare* I mean… Look, it's just silly. I know of some people who will describe it that way. The submissive one is the woman and the dominant one is the man. But not only is that an outdated idea, but it's kind of rude.

 **Shinya** : Right. Let's say, in a heterosexual relationship, the woman has all the traditional traits and capabilities of a man and for the male, it's the opposite. You don't suddenly refer to the man as the woman and vice-versa. I mean some people will. But regardless, in a homosexual relationship, like mine, I am Tomoki's boyfriend and he is my boyfriend. Simple.

 **Zero** : How do you _know_ though? You're probably just confused.

 **Oren** : Ma cherie. You know, when you know. The only time you don't is when someone tries to tell you what you are!

 **Shinya** : What he means to say is that if someone tries to tell you what you're _supposed_ to be, ignore them. You'll figure out on your own.

 **Mimi** : Also, we know the same way any straight person knows they don't want to sleep with someone of the same sex. We just do. But there are some, not all, _some_ , that don't fully understand their situation. For them, they might actually be confused but it doesn't mean they might be wrong if they say they're gay.

 **Zero** : I'm okay with it, just don't flaunt it. Like with your pride parades and stuff. Why is there even a whole month dedicated to it when there isn't a straight pride?

 **Mimi** : You're making this really hard not to be snarky.

 **Oren** : Non, non. Do you have any idea how long we have lived in shame? How many people have told our predecessors that they should be dead? That we don't deserve to love, live, and lust like everyone else? *Stands up from seat with a flurry of rainbow confetti falling around him* That is the reason for pride month! To live free of that shame! To finally be told to be proud of who we are!

 **Zero** : When did he have time to set this up? He's never even been here before.

 **Shinya** : My question is when he put on the glittery peacock feathers…

 **Mimi** : Well… he's certainly not afraid to flaunt it. But of course, not every gay person is as flamboyant as this guy. Some of us are a little more toned down.

 **Shinya** : *Gesturing* None of us are good examples of that though.

 **Zero** : Moving on. This one is a bit of a jab at the LGBT community. I know what it's like to be oppressed, so how can I be a bigot?

 **Mimi** : Ha! *Slaps hand over mouth*

 **Shinya** : Being discriminated against is not an all-access pass to be a *Bleep*... I swore… didn't I?

 **Mimi** : I think this one couldn't be avoided. Anyway, to continue, yes, you can absolutely be sexist or racist even if you are part of a minority yourselves. For example, here in Japan, being gay has connotations connected to transgenderism because gay men are effeminate. Later, connotations of perversion would attach themselves to the stigma. There are gay people who fall into this mindset as well and it's, well, it's sexist. Because society has brought us up to think it's degrading to be feminine.

 **Shinya** : Note to masc for masc guys. There is inherent sexism involved in your thinking. I mean, Zero and I both prefer masculine guys, for sure. But that doesn't mean we wouldn't date a chubby or skinny or effeminate guy. Therefore, we wouldn't put that on our dating profiles or something like that.

 **Oren** : And yes, it is absolutely racist to say, "No blacks" or "No Asians" on your profile as well. You are immediately barring them out as options. A preference is if you're given two people of different skin color with the exact same body shape and personality and hobbies but the deciding factor is that you find darker or lighter skin tones to be more attractive. Not that it sounds okay in that context either… But anyway, a preference is _not_ saying "No" to this or that.

 **Zero** : Because that is not saying, "I'd prefer something else." It's saying, "You are unattractive."

 **All** : You are not exempt from being discriminatory just because you know what it's like to be discriminated against.

 **Mimi** : Pride month is to shine a little light on everyone who still has that remnant of darkness in them. For all the gay, bi, pan, ace, and trans people who asked themselves, "What is wrong with me?" back in middle and high school or even now.

 **Shinya** : It's about looking in the mirror and smiling because you like what you see, regardless of what it _is_ you see.

 **Oren** : For realizing that you've made it this far already and that there is nothing for you to be ashamed of. So it's pretty much counterproductive to put others down because of the way they act or the color of their skin.

 **Zero** : And a little fact. The Stonewall riots, the pivotal point that led to the modern fight for LGBT rights in America, was thanks to trans women of color.

 **Mimi** : We hope this has been helpful to you guys. And if there's something we missed that you'd like covered, just tell us and we might come back again. Or we'll answer you in private. But for now, thank you for your attention.

 **Zero** : Enjoy today's chapter and happy pride!

-X-

 **January 21: Shinjuku — 1:17 PM**

Mimi was far more confident in her abilities to slap the hell out of a perverted stalker but with her injury hindering her movement, she was having trouble taking on the Voidlings. Not to mention, they were armed with blades and firearms and she had her designer winter coat and bunny stockings. So she ended up being protected by the Monster Makers.

While the humans occupied themselves with the enigmatic shadows, the Digimon charged towards Myotismon to get a few good hits in. But if it wasn't using a wall of bats as a sacrificial shield, then it was dodging their attacks like a dancer on a stage. And they could all tell he was being smug about it from the way he moved.

"You want to dance?" Darcmon huffed. "I'll show you a dance!"

Despite being told by her partner not to do anything reckless, the angel twirled towards the enemy, swinging her sword with the utmost grace. Myotismon reached into his cape and pulled out a rapier, one that he's never shown in battle before. But he used it to parry the blows like a pro before knocking the wind out of his opponent by slamming the sole of his foot into her stomach and sending her backwards.

"Stop stomping on my friend!" Seadramon roared. "Water Breath!"

Myotismon evaded the pressurized blast of water and quickly took to the air when a lightning bolt struck, electrocuting anything that was still standing in the wet area. But now that he was airborne, that left him in range for Hisyaryumon and CannonBeemon to strike. Luckily for him, their massive size made it easy for him to know they were coming and he easily avoided getting struck whilst simultaneously taking them down with his whip.

The vampire laughed heartily, "Is that really all that the original Chosen Digimon can muster? I am severely underwhelmed."

"Why don't you try someone your own size?!" Lillymon snapped, charging forward to punch him.

Sidestepping the attack, he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her close to his face. "A delicate flower such as yourself should know her place."

"Let her go, Myotismon!" Mimi shouted, wincing a little as her wound throbbed. "I swear if you do anything to her…"

"Despair," Myotismon whispered. A swarm of bats escaped from his mantle, keeping the other Digimon from coming to the rescue. "I always wondered what it would look like on the face of the child of sincerity. I never got to see it but supposedly, she wailed like a baby whenever a friend of hers died. I wonder what face she'll make now."

"Sky Rocket Infinity!"

"Every Direction Wheel!"

It was like tossing a pebble into a vat of butter. Their attacks didn't seem to diminish the bats whatsoever. Rather, it felt like they increased in volume and annoyance. The only good thing about them was that they couldn't actually hurt the Digimon but it wasn't themselves they were worried about.

"You…," Lillymon growled before letting out a gasp.

She felt the cold steel of a thin blade finding its way through her stomach. The rest of her body was starting to go numb and her wings wilted.

"Now this delicate flower has been crushed and withered."

"Lillymon!" Mimi cried out.

The fairy was tossed aside just as Darcmon and Wizardmon cut their way through the black blur. The mage teleported to the fallen Ultimate's side and quickly gathered her up in his arms. He vanished once more and reappeared on the roof of a nearby supermarket. Rai immediately took Mimi over to where Lillymon had already returned to her Rookie form.

"Let me see if I can do something," said Rai, lowering her staff over the staticky hole in Palmon's belly.

"Palmon," Mimi said. "Can you hear me? Are you okay?"

Palmon was in a lot of pain though whatever Rai was doing seemed to be working. It didn't feel so bad anymore. But she didn't care as much for her wound as she did Mimi's tears.

"Don't cry, Mimi," Palmon huffed. "I'm still here, you know. And once I'm healed, I'll be charging back in."

Mimi wiped away at her eyes before giving Palmon a big smile. "Of course, I don't expect anything less from you. Besides, as if I'm going to let that vampire get tears out of me."

Palmon slowly sat up with Rai's help. "But still… it doesn't seem like I can win this alone. And here I was hoping I was stronger."

"You are," said Mimi. "Far stronger than you even realize. And no one has ever won a battle alone."

"Eh?"

"People get stronger together," said Mimi, holding onto her partner's hand. "Through the words of others, the lessons we learn from losing, the skills we observe from the enemy. Those things are given to us from all those around us. No battle is won by a sole person and their skill. So stop trying to do so."

During this, the remaining four Digimon launched a heavy assault on Myotismon. The vampire had been barely paying attention as he had hoped to hear a devastated cry coming from the human. But there was nothing.

Despite being distracted however, he was still able to fend off each of their attacks. From grabbing the Legendary Sword to using it as a shield to defend from Darcmon's own weapon. Then he ducked under CannonBeemon's Nitro Stinger before raising a hand to somehow instantaneously evaporate Seadramon's Ice Blast before it even reached him.

"How annoying," Myotismon huffed.

He back kicked CannonBeemon into Hisyaryumon, sending them both crashing down a few stories. They picked themselves up before hitting the asphalt but Myotismon had already grabbed the end of Seadramon's tail and used the serpentine Digimon as a lasso to grab the two Ultimates and send them soaring. All while parrying Darcmon's attacks with his one free hand holding his rapier.

"Crimson Lightning!"

The red whip lashed out and struck Darcmon in the stomach before circling around and striking the three gargantuan Digimon in the sky. They all returned to their Rookie forms before slamming into the rooftop. Their partners rushed to their sides with worry in their eyes while trying to fend off the Voidlings.

"Maybe we should've accepted Tai's help after all," Janyu muttered.

Robert swiped at a Voidling with his spear. "Hey, we've been in worse situations! Remember Brakedramon?"

"Those circumstances were different," Shibumi sighed. "We didn't have to destroy him and we also didn't have a hundred shadows breathing down our necks."

"Yeah, but it was still pretty bad."

The Voidlings had already decreased in number dramatically. There were maybe ten left but the humans were tired even if their physical bodies weren't the ones doing the work. As a matter of fact, their digital bodies were starting to crackle under the pressure. It seems like they'd run out of the mental capacity to keep the avatars running.

Myotismon raised a hand and the last of his minions stopped moving forward. They stood perfectly still as the vampire stepped towards the Chosen Children and their partners. Even if he destroyed them, their physical forms were still safe. But they continued to shield the bodies of their fallen partners, not willing to lose them again.

"You guys have to get out of here," Daisy hissed at Salamon.

"Not without you," Salamon huffed. "We've been through everything together."

Betamon nodded. "Yeah, we'll keep fighting until our last breath."

"Don't underestimate us!" Ryudamon added before all four jumped out in front. "Tera Burst!"

"Gear Stinger!" "Puppy Howling!" "Electric Shock!"

Mimi and Palmon both saw a massive red beetle flash before their eyes. It towered above them, like the building they kneeled upon. Seven small Digimon stood before it and they could've been crushed so easily but they persevered to protect their friends that they have known for less than an hour. And somehow, together, they were able to drive it off.

This was not the same case. Myotismon let the attacks harmlessly bounce off his body as he slowly got closer. Shibumi tried one last desperate swing of his scythe but it was caught with one hand. Smiling sickeningly at the human man, Myotismon swiped at his chest with the rapier, leaving the digital avatar in bits.

"Shibumi!" Robert gasped.

Even knowing that the real Monster Maker was perfectly fine, it's not exactly easy watching your childhood friend get cleaved in two. To make matters more stomach-churning, Myotismon maintained a twisted, sadistic smile the whole time. Altogether, the humans pushed their partners aside, before charging at Myotismon.

Myotismon parried a slash from Daisy using his rapier before knocking the hilt down to redirect Janyu's punch. Next, he performed an elegant high kick that knocked Babel's pistol into the sky before slamming the heel into Robert's stomach. Finally, with a single rotation, he sent a red whip slicing through the air, cutting through each of their abdomens and possibly even their faces, leaving them in broken-up messes.

"No!" Rai cried out.

The four Rookies would've seen their partners explode into clouds of data had Wizardmon not shielded their eyes from the sight with his mantle. It wasn't exactly something anyone could bear to watch. And it wasn't much comfort knowing they weren't just brutally slain.

Wizardmon took a step back and raised a palm at his friends. "Blink Breeze," he whispered, blowing the group of five over to the next building where the girls were. "Magical Game!" Raising his staff, he cast an invisibility spell over himself, causing his physical body to vanish before Myotismon's eyes.

"Do you really think you can beat me with a party trick?" Myotismon laughed. "I grow tired of all of you constantly smiling even after all the pain I've caused you."

The spectators on the other building watched as the vampire seemed to swing his rapier around, protecting himself from nothing. But sparks flew from the places where the blade struck an invisible weapon. The disembodied grunts they heard were enough to tell them that their comrade was at his limit.

"Palmon, you saw all of that, right?" Mimi asked.

Palmon nodded. "Myotismon will stop at nothing to try and eliminate happiness… and bring ruin to the worlds."

"That's why we have stop him no matter what," said Mimi. "It doesn't matter how strong we are. We could be babies and we'd still put up a fight, right?"

"Right."

"Then we won't give up."

Rai felt something warm on her back. She turned away from the fight just as her partner reappeared and was knocked down. However, the green glow got brighter, forcing Myotismon's eyes closed. The only reason he even chose this day to attack was because of the lack of light.

"Mimi?" Rai blinked. "What's…?"

Palmon sprinted forward and used her Poison Ivy to swing into the space between the two humanoid Digimon. All of sudden, she turned into Togemon and threw a punch, blowing Myotismon back a few feet. It didn't do him much harm as he had absorbed the attack with crossed arms but when he uncovered his torso, he saw Lillymon standing there instead.

"Wha—?!"

"Flower Cannon!"

' _Every time!_ ' the undead Digimon thought,' _Every time I get close to winning, someone gets in my way!_ ' He deflected the energy blast before getting a clear look at his foe. "And you! Why? Why don't you ever stay down! I've plucked and plucked and _plucked_ away at your puny petals until you were _nothing_ more than a sheet of paper going through the shredder!"

The two human women stood by their partners. The older one helping her magical partner and the younger one glaring right at Myotismon.

"Five seconds," Mimi stated. "That's how long you can keep us down. After that, we force our way back to our feet! Either with a fire in our hearts or a smile on our faces. Because we know we've either won… or we've tried our best."

Myotismon's face cracked into a grotesque scowl. "But even your best can result in failure!"

"Even so!" Mimi shouted, holding up her glowing green digivice. "We'll still fight with everything we have. Because even if we lose here… we know someone else will beat you."

"Impudent fools!" Myotismon bellowed. "Nightmare Claw!"

Lillymon stepped in front of her partner as the black entity approached them. Still shrouded in the bright green glow, her form began to change.

Her skirt grew longer though it split in the middle, revealing long slender legs covered in fishnet stockings. The flower on her head moves downwards, covering her eyes as a new color shaded her lips. Staves appeared in each of her manicured hands. In her left was a golden scepter tipped with wings and coiled directly underneath were two snakes, one black and the other white. In her other hand was a white weapon adorned in multi-colored petals.

With a wave of her colorful staff, an aurora borealis appeared like a curtain. The black entity reeled back the second it stepped into it, fading away into hissing smoke.

"Palmon Warp Digivolve to… Lotosmon!"

 **Digital Analyzer** : With the appearance of a flower blooming in heaven, Lotosmon is a lady in both appearance and personality. She possesses the power to grant eternal good dreams in order to end the suffering of those she deems worthy of happiness. However, to those who choose to upset or defy her, she will bring down the hammer. The Caduceus in her left hand can bring both joy and ruin.

"A Mega?" Myotismon's frown grew uglier. "Do you really think you'll be able to beat me just because you grew a level? Don't make me laugh! Nightmare Wave!"

Red electricity sparked from his fingertips and jumped out at the woman. But once again, a rainbow curtain shielded her. This gave Mimi the chance to step back but when she moved, Myotismon caught sight of the scar on her arm from before. Or more accurately, a lack thereof. For a second, a white serpent slithered from her wrist and looped around Lotosmon's staff.

"For threatening my partner and the rest of humanity," said Lotosmon. "You will be punished!"

"Healing powers?" Myotismon snarled before running towards her with his rapier at his side. "Regardless, I refuse to lose to you!"

A smile graced Lotosmon's lips before she started guarding against the blade. Not a single movement was wasted as she parried blow after blow simply by shifting her arms just a few centimeters. They swayed in the air like ribbons though they didn't fall apart from contact with the weapon. The grace of a ribbon dance and solidity of stone.

Blocking a downward slash from the sword with the Caduceus, Lotosmon took her chance to slam the rainbow-pointed flowers into Myotismon's stomach. The Ultimate was flung to the very edge of the building where he attempted to regain his bearings. But Lotosmon gave him no time.

"I won't lose," Myotismon hissed. "Not again. Crimson Lightning!"

The black snake wriggled into life as Lotosmon pointed her staff at the vampire. "Serpent of Ruin!"

The end of the dark red whip was swallowed whole by an enormous ebony reptile. The snake spiraled up the whip. growing bigger by the second before finding its way to its prey. All Myotismon could do was scream in fear as he saw the sharp fangs of the creature about to chomp down on him.

"No! No! Stay back! NO!"

"Doom Cannon!"

The snake suddenly vanished in a flash of red light. Lotosmon's smile actually faltered as she was forced to defend her partner against a pack of flying leeches. Once the shadowy familiars were taken care of, they could see a nightmarish demon standing over their enemy.

"Who are you?" Lotosmon demanded.

"Disheveled hair, dilated eyes, is that a blemish?" the unfamiliar demon muttered, examining the Ultimate. "For a creature of vanity such as yourself, you are in quite the pitiful state."

"N… NeoMyotismon?"

"I see," said Lotosmon. "So you're NeoMyotismon. The Dark General that Yuu fought."

"I must commend you for attaining this kind of power," said NeoMyotismon. "The Demon Lords were right. You and your partner… are truly the most dangerous. But I suppose the same could be said about the rest of your team as well."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mimi frowned. She didn't exactly see herself as weak but she was certain the biggest threat to the Demon Lords would be the Generals or Tamers or pretty much any of the others. Why was she, Tai, and the rest considered the most dangerous? "I can't give my partner power-ups, I don't have ancient potential, and I most certainly don't lead a grand army."

The Dark General didn't reply to her as he sunk his claws into Myotismon's hair and yanked him up by it. Mimi could just feel her scalp tingling just from looking at it.

"I'm curious as to whether or not I could defeat you," said NeoMyotismon. "But for today, I must let you live. I was tasked with taking this one…," he raised the head of the pale humanoid. "...back. However, I am sure we will meet again." With a flourish, he vanished.

Lotosmon let out sigh of relief. It was frustrating to let a villain walk free but at least they were safe. But just before she returned to Palmon, Mimi threw her arms around the plant Digimon.

"You were amazing!" Mimi squealed.

"I-I was?"

"Absolutely!"

Rai walked over to them with a relieved smile. "It was truly a magnificent display. And one none of us, and certainly not Myotismon, will forget soon."

"Yeah!" Mimi grinned. "That pompous, sunlight-deficient blood-sucker will think twice than to mess with us next time!"

"We should report back to Hypnos," said Wizardmon, carrying four exhausted Rookies on his back and arms. "And hurry… I'm about ready to collapse."

"You should work out more," Ryudamon muttered from the mage's back.

"You should lose weight!"

Even though they won, Lotosmon felt uneasy. Myotismon admitted that the people he spirited away were still alive. So she supposed it was a good thing someone interrupted her final attack. They needed to find out where the abducted humans were before anything else. But how?

 **January 21: Odaiba — 1:17 PM**

"Tyrant Savage!"

Tai winced as his partner was swiped away with a giant claw, sent flying off into a nearby building and almost immediately decimating it. The next thing he saw was Zudomon stampeding down the street and slamming his hammer into the middle of it. A tremor was sent through the ground as a beam of light traveled from the heavyweight weapon to the bottom of VenonMyotismon's feet.

"Alright!" Joe cheered. "You knocked him down!"

Matt turned to his partner who was racing to the falling behemoth. "And we'll keep him down!"

"Right!" MetalGarurumon growled. "Grace Cross Freezer!"

As the colossal Digimon attempted to get back up, his legs were suddenly coated in ice as a variety of missiles hit him. The next parts to freeze were his hands and then his pelvic area. With heavy, distressed grunts, he tried to break free and the ice was already starting to crack.

"We don't have much time," said Zenjirou. "Everyone attack together!"

"Hit him where it hurts!" Akari added with an air punch for emphasis.

JagerDorulumon appeared from the top of a building, pointing the Zasshu shield at the four eyes on VenomMyotismon's stomach and firing a bright beam. "White Spiral!"

AtlurBallistamon produced immense, crackling energy in his arms from his position next to the Ultimate amphibian, aiming for that known weak spot. "Plasma Crack!"

"The people of Earth aren't your lunch!" Zudomon roared, slamming his hammer into the ground once more. "Vulcan's Hammer!"

By the time all three attacks struck down on the giant, WarGreymon had dug his way out of the rubble. As he took to his partner's side, VenomMyotismon was rising from the smoke and ashes with an earth-trembling cackle. There was not a single scratch on him.

The monster glazed over the scene before him, laying his eyes on Zudomon, the objectively largest target. Opening his mouth like he was unhinging his jaw, intense heat began to gather in the endless crevice that was his mouth. "Inferno!"

A scorching volley of flames traveled down the city street and Zenjirou and Joe were going to be roasted alive because they're only cover was a parked convertible. Zudomon would've gotten out of the way but he also knew he was too slow to do so. Some part of him would be crisp and fried so instead, he spun around and used his arms to cover the boys. He was fully prepared to take the full brunt of the blast with his shell.

"That won't be enough!" Joe shouted.

JagerDorulumon leapt off the building and drop kicked the side of VenomMyotismon's face. At the same time, WarGreymon took off from his position and dug into the monster's ankles with his sharp claws. This changed the trajectory of the shot a bit but not enough to miss Zudomon's back.

Joe and Zenjirou ducked low as they were suddenly engulfed in red and orange fire. From everyone else's vantage points, it was like they had all been swallowed by a tsunami of lava.

"It's hot," Zenjirou coughed. He pinched his throat and blinked multiple times, trying to clear the stinging in his eyes. "And hard to breathe…"

Joe was more concerned for his partner who had his eyes squeezed shut. The bespectacled boy placed a hand on the walrus's hairy claw despite it feeling like touching the inside of a lit fireplace. "Are you okay… Zudomon?"

There was no answer. And when the fire passed, they could see the smoke rising from the back and singed hair on the top of his head. But other than that, he was still standing. Which was remarkable until they realized that a golden AtlurBallistamon stood tall, as a protective wall between VenomMyotismon and Zudomon, wielding two larges axes and using the flat sides as a shield.

Tai heaved a sigh of relief, realizing what had happened. "So Zenjirou Xros-ed him with Olegmon at the last second."

"My elbow's burned a bit," Zudomon huffed, releasing his breath. "Thanks Zenjirou, AtlurBallistamon, I would've been done for if that actually hit me."

Joe slapped his partner's claw before falling to his butt. "Then don't do something that reckless again."

"Then I wouldn't be me, would I?"

"No, I guess not. But I don't know what I'd do without you."

The asphalt seemed to waver and ripple like a disturbed lake. The boys were much too cautious to try and step out of Zudomon's shadow for fear of catching fire as soon as they did. But then a rush of wind blew around them as two more massive dark spots passed over.

"Cavalry's here!" Sora called out, leaping from Garudamon to a nearby building.

Izzy followed soon after as MegaKabuterimon buzzed past. "If his weak spot isn't in his abdomen anymore, then try something else!"

"Wing Blade!"

"Horn Buster!"

VenomMyotismon raised a grotesque claw, catching the attacks in his palm before swiping at the two Ultimates. Garudamon veered off into the Ferris wheel while MegaKabuterimon hit the still steaming asphalt. It was this strange combination of freezing winter air on his limbs and blazing street on his back.

"Hot! Hot!" the insect yelped. "And here I was complaining about the cold…"

With a laugh that sounded more joyous than triumphant, VenonMyotismon took a step forward, ready to crush MegaKabuterimon underneath his foot like the bug he was. Before he could succeed though, a twister made by WarGreymon hit him square in the chest. It wasn't enough to knock him down but he took a step back, placing it on the layer of ice created by MetalGarurumon, causing him to slip and fall.

JagerDorulumon aimed his lance at the monster's face. "Black Nail!"

Unfortunately, the knight was easily backhanded into the other canine Digimon, making them skip across the concrete like stones on a pond. By the time VenomMyotismon had propped himself back up on his elbows, the street had cooled down enough for Joe and Zenjirou to take cover elsewhere. Their partners stayed behind, flinging their weapons to send them spinning towards the behemoth's rising chest.

"Hammer Boomerang!"

"Dual Tomahawk Boomerang!"

VenomMyotismon defended the attacks with his arm but while the axes wedged themselves in his forearm, the hammer landed with a thud on his forehead. He wailed out like a toddler having accidentally injured himself. The sound tore through the air and it sounded almost as if it came from their brains, shooting outwards.

"Gah!" Sora grunted. "What's with this guy? He's like a giant baby!"

"Perhaps it's due to being split into three versions of himself," Izzy theorized. "This one may not have the same level of intelligence and sentience as the other two."

That meant that the enemy was betting on VenomMyotismon's superior strength to come through. Hopefully, they could take advantage of that fact.

Garudamon flew in close and retrieved the hammer but instead of returning it to her comrade, she took off skywards. VenomMyotismon used his free claw to try and stop the bird but dozens of missiles and Horn Buster lasers struck him, slowing him down and costing him his chance. AtlurBallistamon stretched out his mechanical arms to grab his weapons while Zudomon barreled forward, wrapped his thick arms around one of VenomMyotismon's legs, sinking his tusks and horns into the skin whilst pinning him down.

"Ugh!" Zudomon groaned. "Does he ever wash his feet?"

JagerDorulumon landed on the other side, striking down with his Storm Stinger to keep the other foot stuck as well. "Just don't think about it."

AtlurBallistamon had found his way onto the top of the building thanks to MegaKabuterimon. Once he was finished positioning himself, he tossed the tomahawks into VenomMyotismon's wrists. As a finishing touch, MetalGarurumon released a subzero breath from his muzzle, freezing the beast in place.

"This trick didn't work the first time, why would it now?" VenomMyotismon snarled.

"Keep freezing him!" Matt shouted.

Sora turned her head to the sky, realizing that her partner could no longer be seen. "WarGreymon!" she called out. "Tell Garudamon to let it go!"

The armored dragon took off after nodding to her. It wasn't long before they heard two distant shouts and what sounded to be an object whistling through the air. From above, they watched as a large hunk of metal pierced through the clouds with two bodies of fire following right behind.

"Terra Force!" "Wing Blade!"

They collided with the falling object, causing it to move faster as Zudomon and JagerDorulumon took off for cover. It seemed as though the trajectory was slightly off though as it seemed to be coming for the spot just a little off to VenomMyotismon's side. But of course, that was what MetalGarurumon and AtlurBallistamon was for.

"Garuru Tomahawk!" "Plasma Crack!"

They were able to add their own force to the attack and adjust the aim a smidge. As VenomMyotismon howled incoherently, the hammer made it to its mark, smack dab in the center of the vampire's chest. With the collision came a resounding BOOM that seemed to echo through the prefecture but once the smoke cleared, they could see with relief that it had punctured an enormous hole straight through their enemy.

"Yes!" Tai cheered.

"We did it!" Matt huffed.

WarGreymon laughed, "Let's see you get up after that!"

"Wait," MetalGarurumon barked. "He's not… disappearing…"

Usually, taking such a fatal blow would eventually delete a Digimon. The hole should expand, taking more and more data until nothing was left behind. But for some unknown reason, VenomMyotismon just lifted the hammer from the center of his chest and sat up, leaving a gaping crevice with the edges crackling.

Akari shuddered, seeing the ruins of a pedestrian bridge behind VenomMyotismon. "Just looking at it makes my chest uncomfortable."

"Perhaps it's time I give you some assistance," a smooth voice called out from inside her X-Loader.

"Splashmon…"

There was no doubt that he would give a huge boost in combat power if he were to fuse with JagerDorulumon. But at the same time, she knew that this Dark General was nothing like Olegmon. He couldn't be trusted as easily. Besides, out of all the enemy Digimon they've Hunted, this one has been the least helpful in obtaining new information. Well, no, Olegmon and Tactimon are the only ones who have been properly cooperating.

"He's already healing himself!" Joe yelled, snapping her out of it.

"We have to think of something fast," Tai grumbled before turning his attention on Izzy. "Any ideas?!"

Izzy looked over his laptop at the several pairs of eyes focused on him. "You know, you guys can think sometimes!"

"Let's try fusing!" Zudomon suggested. "Dorulumon! Let me try on your armor and weapons!"

"Can't you be serious?" Joe huffed in exasperation.

"For now, strike him while he's trying to recover!" Tai ordered.

The Digimon had already been preparing to launch another assault on the bad guy. Well, except for Zudomon who was without a weapon. But as they released a wave of energy blasts of varying strength and elements, the eyes on VenomMyotismon's abdomen shined.

"Chaos Flame!"

A burst of purple of flame suddenly started to envelop the area, melting down building and blackening the concrete. The Digimon automatically turned tail to protect their partners from the oncoming blaze. The ones that could fly took to the air while the ones that were fast on their feet tried to avoid the heat. Zudomon and AtlurBallistamon were forced to take cover elsewhere, using the giant tomahawks as shields once more.

As soon as the flames were cleared, three blurs shot out from various directions, ready to strike down VenomMyotismon. WarGreymon from the sky directly above, JagerDorulumon from a couple city blocks in front, and MetalGarurumon from directly behind.

"Mega Claw!" "Black Nail!" "Metal Fang!"

The colossus waved his claws around and swatted them away like mosquitoes. They dropped like them too. But just as he finished with that, a flaming tornado and a powerful electric blast were shot in his direction. He took them head on before wailing once more, somehow firing balls of black energy at the two assailants, Garudamon and AtlurBallistamon.

"Is that it?" VenomMyotismon roared. "Is that all you weaklings can do?!"

"Horn Bus—!"

VenomMyotismon clamped his hands together and hammered the bug straight into the ground. In his place was a small blob and as the behemoth cackled, he took a step with the intention of crushing the little one just as he had before. And he would've succeeded too had Zudomon not jumped in the way, using his body to cover his friend.

Zudomon let out a scream as he was pressed into the ground. Motimon trembled underneath as the Ultimate was doing his best to maintain form. The other Digimon flew in to help but VenomMyotismon deflected their attacks, absorbed their blows, and even reduced them a few levels. It was like a reenactment of the iconic scene from _King Kong_. Where the hairy, roaring beast knocked down plane after plane as they tried to knock him down.

"Yokomon!" Sora cried out as the In-Training landed.

"This… isn't looking good for us…," Ballistamon groaned.

"I don't think Zudomon can take much more," Dorulumon huffed.

Akari nodded in agreement and she held up her X-Loader before an idea hit her. There was a way they could swing things to their advantage. "Dorulumon… You take a rest…"

Everyone's earpieces buzzed for a moment as the teenager relayed her idea to them. Joe, while grateful to her, couldn't let the feeling of unease settle in his stomach. After all, his partner has been deliberately throwing himself into dangerous situations time and time again. It was only a matter of time before his protective shell couldn't save him.

"Is everyone up on higher ground?" Tai asked. As soon as he heard a confirmation from everyone, he directed his next statement to Akari. "We're good to go!"

Akari nodded from where she stood atop a semi-truck. "Okay, here goes. Splashmon! Reload!"

Instead of materializing in front of her, what happened was a torrent of water burst out of her digivice. She was nearly knocked off the vehicle from the pressure had another pair of hands not wrapped around hers to keep her still. Looking up, she saw that it was Joe. It wasn't a lot of help, but it was enough to keep them stabilized as the city street quickly became flooded.

The water washed over the battlefield but it didn't seem to go down as it passed. Rather, it was as if the liquid was alive, swishing back and forth, to and fro, keeping VenomMyotismon trapped in a bowl. Zudomon, in his natural habitat, immediately swam upwards, stabbing his horn into their foe's foot and toppling him.

"Even if this is Zudomon's domain, he still doesn't stand a chance against a Mega," WarGreymon remarked.

"That's what we're for," MetalGarurumon reminded him. "No matter what happens, we'll be there for him."

"Which means we shouldn't pull any punches," said Tai.

Matt sighed, "We shouldn't have from the beginning."

VenomMyotismon bobbed in the water, gasping for air as he attempted to stay afloat. Zudomon was taking this chance to deliver a drenched Motimon back to Izzy's arms before diving back in. As the giant tried to produce flames to vaporize the living lake, he was constantly being pulled back under the waves. Sometimes by a walrus, but mostly by the water itself.

"You're not getting away this time!" Zudomon bellowed. He raised his hammer high above his head before bringing it down on VenomMyotismon.

The beast's movements were slowed due to the water so he couldn't defend against the hard metal smashing him over and over again in the face. But he still recovered quickly, slamming his foot into Zudomon's stomach, sending the aquatic Digimon up for a few moments. Afterwards, the two started grappling underwater and despite the terrain advantage, it was clear that Zudomon was losing. They even ended up switching sides.

Suddenly, Omnimon dove in and thrusted his blade into VenomMyotismon's back. Zudomon got out of the way as the Royal Knight pointed a cannon at the back of their foe's head.

"Supreme Cannon!" For the third time that day, VenomMyotismon was a frozen popsicle. To finish the job, Omnimon sliced his blade in a perfect horizontal line, cutting the horror cleanly in two. "Transcendent Sword!"

That should've been it. But the two parts of VenomMyotismon came to life. The arms grabbed Omnimon's head, crushing it between its claws and dunked him into the ground, creating a crater. Next, opening his black maw, he launched several black balls of energy that exploded on impact with the knight.

"What just happened?!" Sora gasped.

"He's actually putting up a fight against Omnimon of all Digimon!" Zenjirou yelped.

"Don't underestimate our partners!" Tai snapped. "We've been trying to get them to DNA Digivolve all day and they've finally done it. They won't let it go to waste!"

"But I have to wonder," Matt muttered. "What's with this block that's been keeping us from doing it at will? I thought it had gone away last time…"

Somehow, Omnimon ended up in a fight with furiously kicking legs and a frenzy of scratching claws from two ends. While the reaction time was slowed in the water, the same could be said about the Royal Knight who was trying his best to make mincemeat out of the lower body while simultaneously blasting the upper. It was like cutting a worm only to find that it made more and more of itself.

Abruptly, the regeneration process began to take place and the tendrils latched onto each other. Before Omnimon knew it, he had gotten entangled in a thick, black web and the various body parts were closing in on him. No matter how much he sliced or shot, he just couldn't wriggle free of the cackling monster.

"Omnimon!" Tai and Matt shouted.

Before long, VenomMyotismon had fully reformed but parts of Omnimon were sticking out of his grotesque body. The head was halfway inside the left side of the chest while the Garuru Cannon was popping out from the side. A pair of armored legs hung uselessly from the back while just the end of the sword was popping out of the shoulder.

"Let him go!" Zudomon snarled. "Vulcan's Hammer!"

VenomMyotismon's reaction time was still sluggish but just turning a little would be enough. Zudomon stopped his attack just short of smashing in Omnimon's head before feeling a foot crash into his abdomen, sending him into an office building. The concrete structure collapsed and disturbed the water, nearly knocking Akari and Joe into it.

Joe actually had some idea as to why Tai and Matt had a wall standing before them, keeping them from reaching their highest level. Being honest, he felt that the fault laid with the others. Sora, Izzy, Mimi, and himself included. For each of them, something was holding them back, preventing them from reaching greater heights. And somehow, it's affected Tai and Matt who depend on them.

"I'm always messing up," Joe muttered, gritting his teeth against the rocking waves. "Always forgetting something important or screwing up a battle. But I can't rely on others all the time. Even if I'm not dependable all the time… I'll still do everything I can to help."

"Joe?" Akari blinked.

For a bit, he was looking a bit green, like he was going to lose his lunch. But in the next moment, he had vanished into the depths and was making his way to his fallen partner, a faint gray glow surrounding him.

"What just happened?" Sora called out.

Motimon rubbed at his eyes. "Did Joe just… jump in?"

With a sudden burst of flame, the water began to shift unnaturally, not that there was anything natural about it before. Splashmon regained his humanoid form and was frantically blowing at his body which had started steaming. Standing before him was VenomMyotismon, a sick grin on his face as he scratched at the parts where Omnimon's body merged with his.

"Itchy, itchy, itchy, itchy…," he laughed. "I can't stand it. Can't stand. Ha. Ha. Will beating you relieve me? Will destroying you? Will it? Free me?"

Splashmon was breathing heavily but he didn't let it stop him from smiling a bit. There was nothing behind it. "So this is what it's like to be the on this side. I have to say, not fun."

"Free me? Free me? Will it! Free me?"

"Now I'm starting to understand just how hideous I was," the former Dark General whispered to himself. "And it is terrifying…"

Flames gathered in VenomMyotismon's mouth and dripped from his razor-sharp teeth and blood-dyed lips onto the ground, leaving behind hissing steam. Splashmon was frozen with terror, his legs felt like lead and his hands were superglued to the floor. No Digimon could come to his rescue. Not when they were all injured or incapacitated in some other way. Not that they would want to. He was left totally defenseless.

"Inferno!"

A flash of gold shot past and pushed Splashmon out of the way. The pair rolled off as the building they stood in front of exploded.

"Olegmon?!" Splashmon gasped. "What are you…!"

"I'm not going to lose another friend!" Olegmon interjected before glaring at VenomMyotismon. "That goes for Zenjirou, Omnimon, and… you."

The other Digimon stared at his ally in stunned silence before quietly remarking, "You… consider me your… friend?"

"Get out of there!" Akari screamed.

"He's turning around!" Zenjirou shouted.

"You never trusted anyone before, right?" Olegmon huffed, standing between Splashmon and VenomMyotismon, his tomahawks at either side. "As a matter of fact, I bet you were planning on running off the first chance you got. But something told you to stay. And I'll tell you… it's because Akari let you out. She trusts you. And for the first time, you've been given the power to break it."

"I've always had that power."

"But no one ever gave it to you before."

"Inferno!"

A burst of gray light caught Splashmon's attention at the last second and without even thinking, he changed his molecular form once more. Like a floating river, he washed over the light before pushing Olegmon out of the way as well. The blaze still hit the back end, leaving behind a wall of steam which blocked most of the street from view.

"What happened?" Tai blinked, waving his hands through the air. "I can't see!"

"Are they alright?" Matt wondered aloud.

"Itch! Itch!" VenomMyotismon cackled, slowly walking towards the thick fog. "Was that all it took to—!"

"Sorrow Blue!"

A sound wave blew away the fog and everyone stared in disbelief as a polished white plesiosaur appeared before their very eyes, floating on the water that was Splashmon. VenomMyotismon froze and began to wail just as he had before though it sounded much more bestial than before. Olegmon charged forward and sliced away at the beast until he had uncovered just enough of Omnimon for the Royal Knight to free himself.

"That's enough," Omnimon ordered, commanding the aquatic Digimon to stop. "You've done well, Plesiomon, now it's time we finish this once and for all."

"So that's Gomamon's Mega form," said Sora.

"Amazing!" Yokomon cheered. "Him and Joe both!"

 **Digital Analyzer** : Plesiomon was thought to be a mythical Digimon, only existing in rumors though some say that they will appear only in a thick fog when visibility is reduced. Not much else is known as many researchers have been unable to identify any other of their traits or abilities. Only that anyone nearby will hear a sad song and be rendered immobile until the fog passes.

"We won't be able to beat him just by attacking," said Omnimon as their enemy repaired himself. "We have to eliminate him completely. Leave nothing behind to be regenerated."

The water that Plesiomon floated upon seemed to smirk. "I always wanted a shot at that pompous vampire, NeoMyotismon. But this is a pretty good substitute."

"Come to think of it, you're not one to work together with others, are you?" Olegmon pointed out.

"There's a first time for everything," Plesiomon chuckled. "Like how this is the first time I've turned Mega. Now let's break this form in!"

-X-

 **Both Palmon and Gomamon attained their Mega evolutions but while one's already won, will the other be enough? And what's with the block that's preventing Tai and Matt from reaching Omnimon's level willingly? Could Joe's theory be right? Will it take the release of each of their full powers to do so? Find out by staying tuned to Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **I'm still not too happy about the fight scenes. Well, actually, the new Megas' introductions are pretty satisfactory to say the least. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed and again, if you've got any LGBTQ+ related questions, then just ask. Oh, and don't forget to leave a review! Hope to hear from you and until next we meet, mes chéris!**


	30. Deadly Immortality

**Rika** : Hm…

 **Kari** : Um… Are you okay? Lately, you've been looking really suspicious and your eyes keep darting everywhere.

 **Kouji** : *Getting out his D-Tector* Is it an enemy Digimon?!

 **Marcus** : *Punching his palm* Or a demon?!

 **Rika** : Worse… I'm looking out for out-of-franchise character inserts. First, it was Souma Haruto from _Kamen Rider Wizard_ and then Oren Pierre Alfonso from _Kamen Rider Gaim_. I have no doubt that the next one will be from Drive, the season that follows.

 **Ken** : Don't you think you might be a little paranoid?

 **Dorulumon** : Moving past that, we actually have some questions to answer. Well, no, not really. Rather, they're just common threads we noticed. For example, a few people seemed confused as to why the previous chapter's new Megas were… well, who they were.

 **Palmon** : You mean why I was Lotosmon and not Rosemon like in Tri?

 **Lalamon** : Wasn't it to prevent doubles?

 **Kouichi** : I believe Zero said that there was a reason for why he chose the Mega forms that he did. For now, I think we should trust on his decisions. After all, this is his story.

 **Takato** : Hm… There was another question about whether or not there'd be LGBT couples in this story. Well, all Zero said was that there'd be hints of every pairing so…

 **OBJECTION!**

 **Miles Edgeworth** : Tsk, tsk, tsk. *Wagging his finger near his forehead* Zero, himself actually admitted earlier today that every pairing can be interpreted as friendship and that had been his actual intention whenever he "dropped hints." Therefore, none of those "hints" are hints at all!

 **Joe** : What the—?!

 **Gomamon** : Is this a courtroom?!

 **Rika** : I knew it!

 **Renamon** : But surprisingly, they're not from _Drive_.

 **HOLD IT!**

 **Phoenix Wright** : I admit that my client never intended any of those pairings to be solid but… *Slams hands onto the table before pointing dramatically* But just seeing two characters _exist_ near each other will cause crazed shipping fans to say that they're "hints" of their ship setting sail!

 **OBJECTION!**

 **Miles Edgeworth** : *Smirks, shrugs, and shakes his head condescendingly* Still grasping at straws I see. You see, this is not a visual media platform, the audience can't _see_ anything. In writing, especially when you make it specific, makes it difficult to be open to interpretation. Ergo, what Zero intended in his writing is impertinent for the fans to understand the "hints!"

 **Phoenix Wright** : *Sweats nervously* Urk! (He's right. Even now, we're just going off the assumption that everyone knows _Ace Attorney_ and therefore, who we are… So everyone's individual habitus will determine the ships regardless. Zero… How am I supposed to defend you when you're actually guilty of not dropping hints of ships?)

 **Yoshino** : Was this really necessary?

 **Zero Unit** : To be verbally crucified for an insignificant and irrelevant miscommunication? If it's by these two… yes.

 **Rika** : Can we _please_ get on with the chapter?

-X-

 **January 21: Odaiba — 1:53 PM**

A way to completely obliterate VenomMyotismon so that he wouldn't be able to regenerate. That was easier said than done. If he could repair himself from just the tiniest speck of data, then it wouldn't even matter how small they chopped him up. Over time, he would just come back to haunt them.

"You're making that face again," Izzy pointed out.

The other redhead blinked and realized that she had almost missed the moment of impact, when Plesiomon butted his head into VenomMyotismon's stomach. "What face?"

"The one that's a cross between Rodin's The Thinker and constipation," Izzy answered bluntly.

Sora stared back at the younger Chosen Child deadpan. While the teenage boy may have become more aware of people's emotions, he still lacked the tact to broach the subject properly. But then again, she would expect nothing less from him. "It's not like me," she answered. "But lately… I've been kind of pessimistic."

"Perhaps you and Joe switched personalities at some point."

"Did you just make a joke in the middle of battle?"

Izzy simply shrugged in response. Truth be told, they were the only ones not contributing in the fight at the moment. All they did was rescue civilians which is no doubt, an important job. But as they found themselves at the mercy of VenomMyotismon alone, it was hard not to think, "How can we beat the Demon Lords?"

But perhaps Joe was proof that they at least stood a chance. After all, the boy who didn't know how to swim, who fainted at the sight of blood, who felt sick on any moving vehicle was able to break past his limits. However, it was still too early to say whether or not it would be enough.

"Just because I'm stronger doesn't mean I _shouldn't_ be the pessimistic one."

Sora and Izzy looked at the edge of the building and noticed Joe trying to pull himself up. The pair quickly went over to help him over, forgetting that while they were undergoing intensive physical training, Joe was still lagging behind the rest.

"What do you mean?" asked Sora.

"Sora, you're the glue to our team," Joe explained. "You keep us grounded when we try to break away from each other. Like that time at Infinity Mountain's base. I tried to be the mature adult… but it was you who stopped the fighting. And let's not forget the time you helped all of us when we actually did separate."

"Well…"

"And Izzy," said Joe, turning to the younger boy. "You're our strategist and intel. Without you, there'd be so many scraps where'd we lose somebody. And whenever a situation would look really hopeless, you'd find some way of turning it around. So don't either of you act like you're more useless than I am."

Sora let out a heavy sigh, like she had just finished a long session of tennis practice, before giggling. "Now you sound like the old Joe."

"Mm," Izzy nodded, a smile playing on his lips. "It's nice to be uplifted but at the same time, you don't have to bring yourself down while you're at it."

"But you are right," said Sora. "Which is why Izzy and I _will_ get stronger. But for now… we're going to ride your's, Tai's, and Matt's coattails for just a while longer."

Joe hadn't meant to make them laugh but it was good to see them smiling again. "Yeah, just count on me for this one!"

When Plesiomon materialized into existence, their chances still didn't look good. After all, even if he forced VenonMyotismon to pause using his sad serenade, it would only be temporary as his lungs had to give out at some point. Furthermore, there wasn't an attack strong or wide enough that could obliterate their massive enemy in a single shot. So their best bet was to attack fast enough to keep him from regenerating.

"Tyrant Claw!"

"Not this time!" Olegmon shouted.

The pirate blocked the blow with his tomahawks before Omnimon flew in to slice off the hand. Pivoting quickly, he smashed his heel into VenomMyotismon's abdomen, the impact in perfect sync with Plesiomon's headbutt. But without pausing, Splashmon quickly washed over their opponent, soaking him from head to toe. This was their chance!

"Supreme Cannon!"

In an instant, VenomMyotismon was frozen solid, completely immobile. The disembodied arm was already trying to reattach itself to the block.

"Let's shatter him!" Plesiomon roared. "Shaking Pulse!"

From the water that the dinosaur floated upon, a hand appeared out of it as water gushed out from the fingertips. "Hydro Pressure!"

Together, they broke the ice sculpture into hundreds of shards, each one already trying to reach for others with creepy, black tendrils. But Olegmon cut them apart once more, making sure that they had no time to come back together. That included the arm.

Olegmon turned to the Royal Knight. "They're all yours!"

The gargantuan warrior inhaled deeply, letting his chest rise before releasing it at its apex. "Omni Howling!" With a roar that seemed to shake the Earth to its core, the remaining, visible body parts seemed to explode in a burst of data one by one.

"Gah, I hate that attack," Tai groaned.

"But it seems to have worked," said Matt.

"The hand!" Akari shouted. "The hand's still there!"

Tendrils were already forming and twisting, becoming the wrist and the forearm. The four Digimon immediately sprang into action. But just as they got off the ground, the hand splayed out and blasts of dark energy hit them each square in the chest. Omnimon was the only one who could handle the impact without becoming disoriented but it did slow him down a moment.

However, that momentary lapse was VenomMyotismon's saving grace. On impulse, Omnimon went to his go-to move. "Transcendent Sword!"

The flying limb covered itself in thick black energy, almost like armor. It grabbed onto the blade which hissed like water hitting a hot pan but otherwise did no damage. Using the momentum from the weapon's arc, the arm went flying towards the Chosen Children. And at that point, part of the shoulder was already coming into back.

"Eek!" Joe shrieked.

Sora tried to pull him out of the way. "It's coming right for us!"

The arm never reached them though. They all saw the claw splay out once more, prepared to fire dark shots at them but it never hit them. Instead, the sound of electricity crackled over their heads and a firework going off right afterwards is what made them realize that the last of their enemy had been destroyed.

"Nice job, AtlurBallistamon," Zenjirou sighed.

"You're pretty fast with your X-Loader," Tai noted. "First, you were able to fuse him with Olegmon at the last second; and this time, you switched them out."

"We're not in the clear yet," said Matt, keeping them from celebrating too soon.

"Matt's right," Izzy agreed. "A finger might've dropped somewhere and from what we could tell with the arm, it's highly probable that VenomMyotismon can regenerate just from that. We should examine every part of the street and building to make sure that we've completely defeat—."

Everyone fell, either onto one knee or onto their face or back. The entire building they stood upon started leaning to one side like an Italian tourist attraction. Before long, the entire structure had tilted sideways so much to the point where everybody rolled off. They all screamed during the fall but were saved by the Digimon waiting down below.

"That fiend," Omnimon huffed, holding his two partners, Sora, and AtlurBallistamon in his hands. "He used the remainder of his strength to level the building."

"He must've used the following confusion to make an escape," Izzy muttered from Plesiomon's back. "Either that or he buried himself on purpose to make it harder to find him."

Joe patted around the fur on his partner, hoping to find his glasses which had fallen off of him earlier. "What do we do? It'll take some time for us to find him in this rubble. And if he really did escape, then we'll just be wasting our time."

Everyone was silent for a bit, each of them sure of what the others were thinking. Even if it amounted to nothing, they had to search every nook and cranny. If the beast returned because they just left the scene without doing anything, it would be their fault.

"It's okay," said Tai, getting their attention. "If we don't find something, then it simply proves that we're strong enough to scare even VenomMyotismon away. And next time, I'm sure, we'll be even stronger than we were today."

They had to concur with the brunet. So rolling up their sleeves, they got to work. The Digimon kept watch and prepared to fight in case someone did find something.

 **January 21: Minato — 1:23 PM**

MaloMyotismon had left quite a mark on those who had seen him on television. Remembering him as the monster who betrayed his own minions and giving them what he called a reward, death. But seeing him stand before them was a whole other feeling. The pressure he exuded was intense, the chills were freezing, and the fear was immeasurable.

"Pandamonium!"

Thomas felt a chill run down his spine as he remembered the fact that Barbamon had an attack by the same name. However, while the Demon Lord had used it to decimate a large percentage of a Tokyo district, MaloMyotismon expelled a red gas from the maws on his shoulders. It enveloped the area and suddenly no one could see more than a mere centimeter in front of them.

"Damn it!" Marcus coughed. "What's—gah!" He felt a fist impact his cheek. "Son of a—! Everyone! The Voidlings are still around!"

They didn't need to be told twice. But no one could tell which direction anything was. They couldn't even trust in their hearing. What sounded like it came from the right was actually behind them. And what was in front was actually to their left.

"What's going on?" Airu wheezed. A gunshot rang out and she felt something hit her shoulder, causing her to fall forward, onto her face. "Cho-Hakkaimon?! Ryouma?! Anyone?!"

Another Voidling flew over her head as someone came to her side, wrapping their arms around her. The blonde looked up and saw that it was Yoshino who was protecting her. Even through this dense fog, the policewoman was trying to do her job to protect people.

"Let's try and get out of here," Yoshino huffed. "If we move straight ahead, we should be into open air. Just stay close… I'll protect you."

"But how did you find me?"

"Memory," she replied. "Even if we can't trust our senses anymore, I can still find you if I remember where you stood before Pandamonium. Let's go."

Digimon that were still close to their partners attempted to stay that way in order to protect them from the Voidlings. Unfortunately, when they tried to attack without their partner's DigiSoul's infused into them, they just harmlessly passed through the creatures. The humans, aside from the members of the Data Squad, weren't skilled enough to do so properly so they were trying to do the best they could with their own fists and makeshift weapons.

"Tch, where are Tagiru and Gumdramon?" Ryouma grumbled.

"I think Tagiru's parents took them to Kyushu to visit some relatives," Ren coughed. "Supposedly, his grandparents were terrified about everything going on here so…"

They had more pressing matters to attend to though. There were only two Digimon that focused on MaloMyotismon himself, trusting the others to defend the humans. And they were ShineGreymon and Golden Armor Astamon.

"Let's try and get him out of the city," Astamon called out. "Is there a campground or anything nearby?"

"In Minato?" ShineGreymon huffed. "The only place that's out of the way of any of these buildings would be…"

Thomas had already made his way out of the fog and quickly pointed the two Digimon in a direction away from the mass of Voidlings. "There's an abandoned amusement park a few streets west! The commander said that they've already sent backup there. Leave this to us and you guys handle him! Marcus and Ryouma will join you afterwards!" By the time his commands were spoken, the fog had expanded and swallowed him whole again.

"Alright," the dragon nodded before pointing his flame sword at MaloMyotismon. "Torrid White!" A series of blazing shots fired out and while they weren't enough to do much damage to the undead beast, it did get his attention.

"Hey big guy! Over here!" Astamon called out.

In a golden flash, he passed by the creature's eyes at least three times before zipping off towards the amusement park. ShineGreymon had taken this lapse in nothingness to hide his presence behind some buildings. This left MaloMyotismon with few targets besides the gun-wielding bug to follow which he did. The dragon was following close behind as both behemoths flew over the pavement and shot past corners before finding themselves in a theme park where all the rides were covered in tarps.

Astamon slowed down near an out-of-order vending machine and turned himself upside down in midair before pointing his firearms at the enemy. "Homing Hellfire!"

MaloMyotismon attempted to dodge the flurry of bullets but they followed him as he weaved around the carousel and the run-down roller coaster. He screeched to a halt when ShineGreymon appeared before him and felt the lasers hit him in the back. Biting back the yell he would've emitted, the dragon took the opening that was given to him.

"Final Shining Burst!"

In an explosion so bright, it put the sun to shame, the demon was ripped apart. But before either Digimon could so much as revel in their victory, they saw tendrils whip out from the two halves and re-attach themselves to each other. Unlike the other giant in Odaiba, this one was able to repair himself much faster.

"Regeneration?" Astamon scoffed. "A cheap trick."

"Doesn't matter the price," ShineGreymon huffed. "It's still one that's going to be a bother for us and a benefit to him. But at least we know we need to put more power into our attacks if we're going to blow this guy away."

"More power?" MaloMyotismon chuckled. "Do you really think you can muster enough to defeat me? Let me show you just how far out of your league you are. Black Rain!"

A dark ball was shot into the sky before exploding, forming a disc-like cloud above their heads, and hailing black energy pellets. The two shining Digimon attempted to take cover. ShineGreymon used his sword and shield to defend himself from as much of the flurry as he could but while he was distracted MaloMyotismon flew towards his back, swiping him across from his shoulder down to his waist.

Three black lines ran across ShineGreymon's body, threatening to disassemble him byte by byte. But the dragon resisted deletion before noticing a dark form pass before his eyes.

"Astamon!" he grunted. "Look out!"

The humanoid Digimon was zipping through the falling meteors before coming to a sudden stop. His arms and legs flew forward but his stomach stayed in the same spot thanks to a claw piercing through it. Attached to it was a dark, sadistic laugh.

"Well, would you look at that?" MaloMyotismon grinned. "I don't even have to do anything to defeat you. You just come running towards your destruction."

"...Bastard," Astamon grumbled. He raised his gun swords and opened fire on the enemy but they seemed to bounce harmlessly off of him.

"Was that all?" MaloMyotismon laughed. He closed a claw over Astamon's head before dunking it downwards, creating a crater in his place. "I must admit, I am severely disappointed in your collective strength. I had been hoping to have a little more fun but if this is the limit… then I suppose playtime is over."

"Tch, where is that backup of ours?" ShineGreymon snarled.

Almost as soon as those words escaped his mouth, a luminescent arrow flew over his head and struck MaloMyotismon in the chest. The projectile sunk into his body and with a single flash, he was frozen solid from head to toe. The other two Digimon spun their heads around to see Kentaurosmon's six hooves landing with a thud.

"Sorry we're late," said Sampson, dismounting. "I couldn't convince them not to come with me."

"Convince who?" ShineGreymon asked before noticing four human teenagers also leaping off of the Royal Knight's back.

"It's too dangerous for you lot to be here," said Astamon before directing his anger towards Sampson. "Why didn't you stop them?"

"Actually, we're here to fight," Katsuharu smirked.

Teruo's jaw dropped at the sight of MaloMyotismon and he swallowed nervously. "Maybe we should've picked a weaker opponent for our debut."

"Aw come on," Chiaki giggled. "You aren't chickening out, are you… sapling?"

"Wha—Who told you that?!"

"No time for jokes," Katsuharu told them. There was a pause as he looked over at his best friend. "Teppei… I'm sorry but…"

Teppei looked up, adjusting his glasses which had slipped down the bridge of his nose. With a small smile, he said, "I should find a safe place, right? Don't worry, I'm not going to act like a brat just because I couldn't get a stubborn dwarf to listen to me. You guys… good luck." He took off for cover near what used to be the entrance to the park.

Katsuharu took a deep breath before glancing at the other two. "Ready?"

"Takuya and the others entrusted this job to us," said Teruo. "I don't want them to return and knowing we failed."

"So we're as ready as we'll ever be," said Chiaki.

The trio raised their left hands and a bright data ring burst around them. It already felt overwhelming to have the energy swirling around so close to them, it was hard to imagine what it would be like to have their whole body encased in it. But MaloMyotismon wouldn't stay in his subzero prison forever. So with deep breaths, they connected the rings with their new D-Tectors.

"Execute… Spirit Evolution!"

Katsuharu felt armor closing around on his bare skin, bright silver with golden etchings running down his limbs. On his wrists came equipped two circular, reflective shields, identical to the ones that Mercurymon used. Something different was his face though. It was no longer a mirror but more a medieval knight's helmet closed around his eyes but not his nose or mouth. Yet somehow, everything was still visibly clear to him. To complete the evolution a sword appeared on his waist. This new form, it was...

"...Paladinmon!"

The symbol for the Legendary Warrior of Steel was emblazoned onto his chestplate.

 **Digital Analyzer** : A noble and knightly Digimon, Paladinmon is the reincarnation of the Legendary Warrior of Steel. He uses his reflective shields in order to protect those important to him while the blade Prime Excalibur is used to cut down evil. Despite his capabilities, he is best suited as the strategist among the ten Warriors.

As for Teruo, it felt like his feet had sprouted roots and the follicles on his head extended until they were at his waist. His face grew longer and hardened until it felt like solid oak while the rest of his body grew as well. It was almost like he had become a reverse centaur, the body of a human and the head of a horse. Well, actually, he had the legs of a dryad.

"...Shinrinmon!"

The symbol for the Legendary Warrior of Wood was carved onto his hexagonal belt buckle.

 **Digital Analyzer** : Known as the guardian of the Digital World forests, Shinrinmon is the reincarnation of the Legendary Warrior of Wood. He is a pacifist unless he or the nature he preserves is threatened, in which case he will use every weapon in his arsenal to fight. And using only plant life, he has the ability to forge any weapon he so chooses to utilize in battle.

Chiaki felt a veil get draped over her mouth as her eyes changed shape and color, becoming something almost fairy-like. A long, skirt that vaguely resembled a fish tail fell around her legs with long slits going up to the thighs to reveal her legs which were covered in translucent, turquoise scales. They also ran up her body as her fingers and feet became webbed. And to complete the look, a seashell bra and a coral tiara pulling back her long hair.

"...Ningyomon!"

The symbol for the Legendary Warrior of Water was tattooed on her stomach, right beside her belly button.

 **Digital Analyzer** : The cool beauty of the sea, Ningyomon is the reincarnation of the Legendary Warrior of Water. Unlike most aquatic Digimon that can swim through the air, this Warrior has the ability to create water from thin air. She uses it to mobilize herself through the battlefield or simply for travel over land. They say her looks are enough to bring a smile on anyone's face.

"Three more won't make any difference!" MaloMyotismon cackled. As if to prove his point, he broke free from the ice and backhanded the three Digimon closest to him. After that, he fired a dark ball of energy from all three of his mouths, each for a different Warrior.

Paladinmon raised his left shield. "Heavenly Reflection!" The ball of energy entered the mirror and left from the right shield, exploding against the energy ball coming for Shinrinmon.

Ningyomon was able to avoid the blast by creating a stream of water from her palm and then jumping into it. By keeping her legs together, her skirt changed into an actual mermaid's tail and she swam through the stream as if she was in a river except she had total control of where she wanted to go so it was like she was flying through the air. The ball of energy harmlessly passed her by.

Shinrinmon used the confusion to gallop towards the enemy at top speed. His palm splayed out and faced the ground where a spear made entirely of wood appeared. He grabbed it and stabbed MaloMyotismon in the gut before kicking off the undead's thigh.

"A spear?! Is that all you got?" MaloMyotismon roared.

While still in the air, the Warrior smirked as he pointed his palm at the enemy. "Spiking Growth!"

The weapon inside the vampire pulsed before branches pushed their way out of him from various parts of the body. It was like he was being stabbed from the inside out. And he couldn't pull out the weapon now that it had grown roots inside of him. Speaking of which, he found himself stuck to the ground.

"What?!"

"Nice one," ShineGreymon admitted before putting his hands together. "Final Shining Burst!"

"Can't leave me out of this one," Astamon grinned, pointing his pistols at their foe. "Homing Hellfire!"

An ugly smile stretched out onto MaloMyotismon's face. Firing more dark shots from his mouth, he was able to counter their attacks which ended up shrouding him in smoke. They were still able to watch as his silhouette grabbed onto one of the branches sticking out of his stomach and yanked the tree out of his body. The sound of skin tearing and flesh ripping echoed in their ears as he finally got it out.

"This guy really is a monster," ShineGreymon grimaced.

MaloMyotismon threw the wilted tree like a lasso around Shinrinmon's throat and pulled him closer, strangling him with his own weapon and cackling like a madman. The Warrior's horse head was starting to change color from the lack of air but he was broken free thanks to Paladinmon slashing through the branch with his sword. Having rescued his comrade, he immediately got out of the way as a dark rain cloud started forming overhead.

"Draining Rain!"

The undead Digimon felt his energy leaving him as the rain fell around him. Once he was completely soaked through, Kentaurosmon exhaled a subzero breath, freezing their enemy solid. Low on energy and immobilized made him a much easier target to hit.

"Let's try this again," ShineGreymon huffed. "But first…" The dragon flew over to the decrepit roller coaster and pulled it off of its hinges. Using the tracks like a rope, he tied up the frozen statue before tossing the rest of the infrastructure into the air. "Final Shining Burst!"

MaloMyotismon was struck by a blast of golden flame that thawed him out and burned an entire layer of skin from the front of his body. Before he could launch a counterattack, a ton of metal beams, pipes, and bolts fell on top of him, weighing him down.

"Homing Hellfire!"

"Inferno Frost!"

Their attacks struck the Mega full force, sending up dust and metal shrapnel everywhere, hopefully mostly into the bad guy. The moment the smoke cleared though, they saw MaloMyotismon pushing himself back onto his feet. He was breathing heavily and his wounds looked deep but he was otherwise okay. As a matter of fact, his injuries were already mending themselves.

"Endless regeneration," he huffed. "It means nothing if I can't even delete any of you just once." He laughed darkly before baring his pointed teeth at them. "How dare you. How dare _all_ of you!" The laugh was beginning to sound like a vicious snarl. "You dare to make a fool of _me_?"

"He's talking as if we've already found a way to beat his regeneration," Shinrinmon noted.

Sampson had noticed that as well. "Could it be that it takes up energy to regenerate? If we keep him occupied long enough for Ryouma to arrive…"

"We can Hunt him and he won't be anymore trouble for us," Astamon realized.

"Sounds like a plan!" Paladinmon called out.

MaloMyotismon suddenly burst out laughing, sending tremors through the ground with each roaring convulsion. It was haunting and head-splitting at the same time. If it was any louder, the water bubble surrounding Ningyomon might pop and the glass shields on Paladinmon's arms might shatter.

ShineGreymon created a ball of flame in his hand and pointed it at their enemy. "What are you laughing at? We finally know how to defeat you!"

"Do you really think so?" MaloMyotismon grinned. "Haven't you wondered why your partners aren't here yet? Even after saying they would be?"

The group glanced at each other, worry showing in each of their eyes. It was true that a lot of time had passed since they left the others. But maybe they had just gotten lost. After all, Marcus and the others only have to deal with some sensory-impairing smoke and easily defeated Voidlings. There shouldn't be a problem.

"He's just trying to mess with our heads," said ShineGreymon. "I say we ignore him."

"Really?" MaloMyotismon laughed. "Tell me, do you know about my hallucinatory powers?"

Most of them frowned in confusion but Paladinmon was struck with a sudden realization. Having rewatched the Digimon series recently to learn more about them, he had seen the finale not too long ago. So the memory of MaloMyotismon sending everyone into happy but cruelly delusional daydreams was still fresh on his mind.

"You distracted them with _that_?" the Warrior claimed.

"Not quite," the undead Digimon chuckled. "Instead of giving everyone what they want, I decided it would be more appropriate… to have them experience their worst nightmares."

"Their… worst nightmares?"

" _Kristy!_ "

ShineGreymon's breathing slowed down and every part of his body felt heavy. "You…!"

" _Psychemon!_ "

"Ryouma's worst nightmare," Astamon shook. Without warning, he suddenly fired several explosive rounds into MaloMyotismon's skull. "You're lying! Ryouma's lived through it once and he suffered the last two years because of it! How dare you… How dare you!"

The others watched on in shock as ShineGreymon suddenly joined in, sending up a burst of flame. It was as if they were watching a volcanic eruption. Kentaurosmon galloped up to them, attempting to reason with them but they then redirected their assault onto the Royal Knight.

"What did you do to them?!" Paladinmon spun around to the real MaloMyotismon who was cackling to himself near the old food stands. "Did you… You cast an illusion over them!"

"That's why they're fighting each other?" Ningyomon gasped.

Shinrinmon cringed as he watched Kentaurosmon get flung over the remains of the carousel. "But when? And how?"

"No time to think about that!" Paladinmon commanded. "He's coming!"

"Screaming Darkness!"

From the gaping maws on his shoulders came extremely high-temperature beams that ripped through the air. Paladinmon raised both his shields in order to defend himself and his friends but even he was blown back by the sheer force of the attacks. The resulting shockwave sending the other two Warriors tumbling away.

The knight continued until he crashed into ShineGreymon's back. Dizzy from the blast, he attempted to pick himself back up but was hammered back down by the dragon's intertwined fists. Everyone nearby was terrified to hear what sounded like a mirror cracking.

"Katsuharu!" Teppei shouted.

Kentaurosmon threw his arms around ShineGreymon, holding him back and locking the dragon's arms to his sides. "That's your own ally!" The centaur was hit from behind by multiple bullets from Astamon's guns. "Gah! Sampson! This is… too much for me!"

"Hold them for a little longer!" his partner called back. "I'll get Marcus and Ryouma! I'm sure they'll be able to snap them out of it!"

As the man ran off, Shinrinmon created a bow and arrow from the ground. Reeling back, he shot an arrow that changed shape into an entanglement of vines that caught onto MaloMyotismon's ankles. The beast tripped up and landed on his face where Ningyomon could get him.

"Rising Geyser!"

High-pressurized water gushed from the ground underneath MaloMyotismon, shooting him sky high. Then Ningyomon created another raincloud but instead of letting a gentle downpour happen, she made a rushing waterfall to push the enemy downwards at an increasing velocity. Shinrinmon assisted by jamming his hands into the dirt and creating wood spikes where MaloMyotismon would land. And they successfully impaled him.

"Spiking Growth!" "Draining Rain!"

Once more, they binded MaloMyotismon to the spot he stood upon while making him lose his energy. In order to maintain this, they had to hold their pose while expending some of their own power. Their knees were starting to buckle and their eyelids grew heavy as they continued on like this.

"Prime Excalibur!"

Now that his shields were busted, Paladinmon was depending on his sword to deflect Astamon's firearms. But then his opponent revealed that his guns doubled as energy blades and they suddenly got into a sword fight. The inexperienced Legendary Warrior was backed into a corner as he was forced to keep defending while his foe hacked away at him, getting in a few clean hits that would've drawn blood had he not been wearing his heavy armor.

"Odin's Breath!"

ShineGreymon used his flame shield to block the freezing fog which ended up creating steam. Cutting through it with his flame sword, he attempted to burn the Royal Knight alive. But Kentaurosmon blocked it using his crossbow. Then, raising himself onto his back legs, he slammed all four of his front legs into the dragon's chest, sending him into the Ferris wheel and toppling it over.

"I could use a little help here," Paladinmon grunted.

Kentaurosmon spun around and fired a single iridescent arrow into Astamon's stomach, sending him flying in the opposite direction. "I hope Sampson returns soon."

"Takuya and the others seriously fight like this all the time?" Paladinmon coughed. "I can barely keep up!"

"In your defense, they have been fighting for much longer than you."

Shinrinmon abruptly dropped lower to the ground and Ningyomon had her legs once again. They were already starting to reach their limit.

"It must take a lot of energy to control your element like this," MaloMyotismon surmised. "Especially for two greenhorns." Somehow, he was starting to resist against the pressure of the torrent as well as snap free from the vines. "Had you stayed as regular humans and out of this battle… perhaps, you would've lived a little longer."

Teppei couldn't believe this. Not only did the enemy turn their own friends against each other but the Warriors were reaching their limits. It didn't matter if they were to get attacked, they wouldn't be able to hold onto their forms for much longer. When that happens, they'll be done for. That much was certain.

"Grumblemon," he muttered. "Please… My friends are in danger and I need to help them. I need to do something! Don't you care about what happens to the other Warriors?"

Teppei didn't know if the Legendary Warrior of Earth could hear him. Or if he had any connection to Grumblemon at all. But he just felt so helpless in this situation. While being on the sidelines had become a familiar feeling to him, watching the only friends he had been able to talk to about Digimon craziness with being in grave danger was… so different.

MaloMyotismon was practically back up on his legs already. "Is that all you have?"

"He's too strong!" said Ningyomon.

"Marcus!" ShineGreymon roared, bursting out of the rubble. "I'll save you!"

"How dare you!" Astamon bellowed. "To do that to Ryouma!"

Paladinmon swore under his breath. "Is this really all we can do?"

Teppei grinded his teeth and took a step out of his hiding spot just as the sound of someone yelling reached his ears. Turning back, he saw Marcus sprinting across the battlefield, jump off the broken popcorn machine, and punch his own partner in the face. Right behind the older boy was Ryouma who returned Astamon into his X-Loader in exchange for Tactimon.

"Ultimate Tactic!"

With a downward slash that seemed to shake the Earth, MaloMyotismon was instantly cut in half. Behind him, the cobweb-covered fountain crumbled into pebbles. The Hunter frowned as he came to the realization that the Hunt wasn't processing.

"I don't understand," Ryouma shook his head. "Didn't we defeat him?"

MaloMyotismon's two halves immediately started stitching themselves back together. "You won't beat me that easily. You'd have to dissolve me first! Like this! Crimson Mist!"

"Is that all?" Tactimon scoffed. He sliced the air six times, creating a hexagram. "Nothingness Tachi: Six-Realms Samsara!"

A swirling vortex emerged from the six-pointed star and reversed the flow of the acidic fog that had been previously advancing towards them. MaloMyotismon was suddenly engulfed in his own attack, his own skin seeming to melt off of him. He screamed out in terror as he felt bits and pieces of him drip to the ground like wax from a candle.

ShineGreymon had finally snapped out of his stupor thanks to his partner's multiple and hurtful reprimands. So in order to speed up the melting process, he fused his weapons together to created a greatsword and made a wide arcing slash. "Corona Blaze Sword!"

"No wait!" Ryouma called out too late.

MaloMyotismon was roasted alive as parts of him splattered across the fairgrounds. But a second passed and they were already trying to reconnect.

"It doesn't matter if we don't land the final blow!" Tactimon chided. "How can Ryouma Hunt him otherwise?"

"Oi, oi! This is no time for infighting!" Marcus called out.

Paladinmon was awestruck by just how powerful Tactimon was. And now that ShineGreymon was back in control, the Mega was showing enough strength to impress as well. He shouldn't be surprised considering the gap in experience and power level between himself and them but it was still jarring.

"Looks like we made it in time," Sampson huffed before looking over at the new Warriors. "You kids should rest. Leave it to Ryouma and Marcus for now."

It rubbed Paladinmon the wrong way to be referred to as a kid when Ryouma was a year younger than him. But at the same time, it felt warranted. "Yeah… thanks…"

Marcus and Ryouma weren't caught in any sort of illusion but it was something similar. The fog they were trapped in had some sort of quality that kept confusing them. They couldn't depend on any of their senses to find their way out nor were they able to walk in a straight line to get out either. The latter part was proven when Yoshino and Airu tripped over the same piece of rubble for the fifth time in twenty minutes.

Sampson, being an outsider, attempted to locate his comrades first. He had tried calling for them at first but that didn't seem to work. But then an idea struck him as he returned to the mode of transportation that brought him to this location, a helicopter. Turning on the vehicle and using the choppers, he was able to blow away the smoke that had befuddled everyone.

Marcus punched his open palm. "It's time we got some payback."

"Leaving us at the mercy of Voidlings doesn't bode well for your future as my captured prey," Ryouma agreed. "And to help Marcus get his own revenge, Digi-Xros."

Tactimon's sword became coated in crimson flames as a blazing shield appeared in his other hand. His cape was exchanged for flaming wings while his armor took on a scarlet tinge. The Hunter kept in mind that the last time they had fused with a Burst Mode Digimon, the form didn't last very long. But even a few seconds with that kind firepower would be enough to win.

"I won't lose!" MaloMyotismon roared. "Black Rain!"

A black firework darkened the sky and hailed down from above. Everyone covered their heads as they braced for impact but all Tactimon had to do was raise his shield which expanded and protected them from annihilation. With his other hand, he slashed the air ten times to draw a flaming decagram.

"It's over for you," Tactimon stated matter-of-factly. "Burst Tachi: Final Shining Tactic!"

A concentrated burst of fire exploded from the ten-pointed star, destroying everything in its wake. The heat made it hard to breathe while the light made it difficult to see. And no one could hear the dying scream of their enemy over the roar of the blast. Once it was over, they found that there was absolutely nothing left of that half of the amusement park.

"Is it over?" Shinrinmon inquired.

Ryouma felt like throwing his X-Loader across the now empty lot. "Not Hunted?! But how can that be?! He couldn't have survived something like that!"

"He didn't," a voice echoed in their ears.

"Wha—?"

A new creature appeared before them and in his claws was the trembling Myotismon. "Just like how there is a secret to my and Gravimon's regeneration, there is one here. In this case, you would have to destroy all three at the same time."

"You…," the Hunter remembered the Generals talking about an enemy that could regenerate using Lopmon as a healing source. "You're NeoMyotismon!"

Sampson had other, more pressing concerns. "All three at the same time? So you mean, Myotismon and his two evolved forms."

"That is correct," NeoMyotismon chuckled. "And do you know why I'm telling you this?"

Marcus felt his nails digging into his palm, possibly adding new scars. "Because you think it won't make any difference."

"Precisely."

"So for it to count as a defeat and for me to Hunt them, all of them must be defeated at the same time," Ryouma concluded. "Is something like that even possible?" A better question was, would the Demon Lords ever send all three out at the same time again?

"It isn't," NeoMyotismon stated. At this point, Tactimon and ShineGreymon had separated while MaloMyotismon had reformed. He gave them one last chilling smile before fading away with the other two. His last words hanging in the frosty air. "And it never will be."

"So…," Katsuharu huffed. "That was… quite a first fight."

"You'll get used to it," Ryouma stated.

Chiaki fell to her knees, her bangs covering her face. "Get used to this? To putting your life on the line?"

"It's hard…," Marcus admitted. "But we have to… if we want to save the Digital World and ours." He glanced up to see a news chopper flying away, no doubt going to edit the footage to put Digimon in a bad light. "Whether people want us to or not."

-X-

 **So the secret behind the vampire's immortality has been revealed! But will it really make a difference? And what's Teppei going to do to convince Grumblemon to work with him? But I'm sure the question everyone's asking is, what's happening on the other side? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **Okay, so I'm feeling a little better about my fight scenes. Not 100% but better. I do feel as if my new Warriors are a bit overpowered which is why I gave them a bit of a cap. Although I can easily write the other Warriors to be in the same vein of strength. Regardless, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I hope to see you guys next time! Leave a review! Bye!**


	31. Clash in the Kingdom

**Zero Unit** : Week two of being back in college… suffering…

 **Joe** : I can relate. But we don't have time for that right now. We, more specifically you, have a question to answer. And that is, "if you had to ultimately choose pairings for each digimon season, what would they be?"

 **Zero Unit** : Oof, that's a tough one. I'll… start from the beginning. I watched Digimon as a kid and back then, I thought, "as canon as possible." So I suppose the first ships would end up having to be Sora X Matt and Yolei X Ken. I've stuck by those ships ever since.

 **Yolei** : Okay, but you can change them now… So why don't you?"

 **Zero Unit** : Because I'm stubborn. Anyway, my other ships happen to be my OTPs for both Adventure seasons and they are Izzy X Mimi and TK X Kari. But this does not mean I will allow for any Davis bashing of any kind!

 **Takuya** : Wait, what does that mean?

 **Ryouma** : He's referring to the fact that many Takari fics end up putting Davis in a negative light. As a matter of fact, you'll find that the same thing happens to TK in Daikari fics and Kari in Daikeru or even Daiken fics. This is simply a phenomenon caused by writers thinking that the third party in any ship is a "homewrecker" and therefore deserve to be "bashed."

 **Sora** : Well that sounds stupid. Wait… do I get bashed in stories where Matt is shipped with… anybody else?

 **Ryouma** : I've seen it happen in Mimato stories and a few Taito ones.

 **Zero Unit** : Ugh, I hate it so much. They're all friends. As if they wouldn't be happy if one of them got into healthy relationships with each other.

 **Gatomon** : Uh… Maybe you should move on to your Tamers ships before you go into rant mode.

 **Zero Unit** : Right, well, my Tamers OTP is Henry X Rika. I know you guys don't have a lot of "moments" but I'm a sucker for opposites attract pairings. And the fact that you guys are loners for different reasons fit so well together. Henry doesn't want to get close to people for fear of hurting them while Rika fears of _getting_ hurt.

 **Rika** : ...Why did you get so in depth with us but no one else?

 **Henry** : Probably because he used to read fics and watched AMVs about us when he was younger.

 **Terriermon** : *Shakes head* That's just sad.

 **Zero Unit** : Shut it. Anyway, the other Tamers couple has to be Takato and Jeri and before anyone scoffs, no it is not because of "knight in shining armor saves damsel in distress, they must be in love." Takato already had a crush on her because of her kindness. And Jeri is not as weak as people think of her because I don't know about you, but I'd be pretty traumatized after the deaths of two people close to you, thinking your dad didn't love mom as much (she's ten, what do you expect her to think?), and being in the D-Reaper and nearly slaughtering your friends. She's strong in a different way.

 **Takato** : Jeri… are you… crying?

 **Jeri** : *Wipes away tears* Yes, well, if Zero hadn't just dug up my entire childhood trauma like that…

 **Zero Unit** : For Frontier, usually, I would say Kouji and Zoey. But since the asker was inquiring about this story specifically, I might've gone down the Takuya and Zoey route. Or more likely, I would've just left her as friends with the boys. I guess the only real ship from Frontier that would see the light of day would be Tomoki X Shinya.

 **Tommy** : Considering you said my Japanese name, I'm guessing…

 **Zero Unit** : Yes, it's because of Love or Lust! I really want to write a sequel titled Love at Last but the material just isn't enough for it! Anyway… I digress.

 **Izzy** : We're running low on time for this skit!

 **Zero Unit** : The last ones are Thomas X Yoshino, Keenan X Kristy, Taiki X Akari (I'm a sucker for childhood friend loves too), and Tagiru X Yuu.

 **Akari** : Wait, if you like childhood loves, then why don't you ship Tai and So—?

 **Zero Unit** : And that's all the time we have for this skit! Please enjoy today's chapter!

-X-

 **January 24: Kingdom Town, Grand Dining Hall — 8:15 AM**

Origami letters shaped like cranes, the United Xros Heart Army's main means of communication, flew in from the windows and settled down in Ophanimon's hands. Every day, she and the other Celestial trio would read them silently amongst themselves before deeming whether or not it should be shared with the rest of the table. This was how their mornings went.

They received news from the frontlines which would be reported to the Chosen Children. If there was some bad news, then a couple of troops would be mobilized. This time, the three angels looked rather troubled as they read the contents of this particular crane.

"Is something wrong?" Taiki asked.

"We may have to mobilize some DigiDestined this time around," Seraphimon confessed. "Black Gears and Dark Rings, any Digimon can handle. Even Dark Chains for the especially skilled. But it appears that there are two settlements to the north and south that have been nearly conquered."

Control Spires had started appearing in the truck loads, giving off this oppressive aura that hadn't been felt since Digimon Emperor times. To make matters worse, the Demon Lords have been dropping powerful guardians to protect those looming towers. It seems there were finally enemies strong enough for the human kids to be sent out.

"We'll send out five Chosen and their partners to each of those two locations," Taiki explained to the rest of the DigiDestined while Yolei collected names into a hat. "Everyone who is okay with going out to the frontlines may add their name and if you're chosen, you'll be placed in a troop to be sent out to the battlefield."

"Remember, you don't have to participate, if you're not feeling up to it," Shoutmon reminded them.

Takuya nabbed the note that Shinya was about to add and tore it up. "You're staying here. You're not strong enough to go out there yet."

"What?" his little brother whined. "That's not fair. How do you expect me to get stronger if I don't fight?"

"You'll train. With everyone else that stays."

Zoey placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. "Takuya's just worried about you. This is a war. And we know better than most how dicey that can get."

The town to the north was doing fine up until they woke up yesterday morning to find a hulking beast wrecking their village. They tried to hold him back but he just continued advancing and destroying. The team that was chosen to be sent there was Davis, Jeri, Kenta, Takuya, and Kiriha.

"Are you guys sure you want to do this?" Takato asked his fellow Tamers.

"They need medics and I'm the one who's most qualified to do it," said Kenta.

"Pu pu!"

"And MarineAngemon, of course."

"Don't worry," Liollmon assured Takato. "I'll be sure to keep Jeri safe."

The town to the south ended up retreating due to the constant air raids so they relinquished their stronghold. But they were prepared to storm the village to take it back. Unfortunately, they were lacking leadership and the enemy was strong. So being sent there was TK, Takato, Kouji, Kristy, and Taiki. The General having been specifically asked to be the much needed leader.

"You sure you're okay with me going?" Kristy asked. "I can stay if you're scared."

Relena smiled gratefully before hugging the brunette. "Thank you. But the world is counting on the Chosen Children to save it. I can't hold you back just because I'm scared."

Everyone that was left behind had their own work to do. Whether it was working on the transporter that connects Earth and the Digital World or doing some training. Others, like Henry, marched back to his room after he finished eating. Rika, being the only other partnered Tamer there, couldn't help but worry about him. She just wished he could talk about his problems instead of hiding away.

"Does he ever play the role of talker instead of listener?" Zoey asked.

Rika glanced over at the blonde before really thinking about it. If there was anyone the Tamers consistently confided in, it was Henry. They would dump every problem, lay out all the issues, and recount every detail of a trying moment to him without ever asking how he was doing. How many times had they actually done it? Once. Maybe twice a year. And his answer was always that he was fine.

"It never occurred to me that a guy like him could be suffering in some way," Rika confessed. "He's always so… collected. Well, unless Suzie's in danger. But even then… I've never seen him shut everyone out before or self implode like this."

"So…," Zoey ran her fingers through her hair, starting to become accustomed to the new length. "Does that make us terrible friends?"

"It certainly makes me one," Rika sighed. "You've only known him for a few months."

Knowing this wasn't going to change anything though. Henry wasn't going to just start spilling his guts the moment Rika realized how selfish she and the other Tamers had been. But there was still something else she could try.

She knocked on his door. "Hey… It's me. I was just wondering if you wanted to play a game of cards."

There was a short pause before he replied, "What kind?"

It was a silly thing between the Tamers. It was actually Henry that started it. Back when Jeri was still beating herself up over what happened with the D-Reaper, everyone was trying their best to get her to smile like she used to. When Henry suddenly pulled out a deck of playing cards. The next day, he brought Uno. And then he got Yu-Gi-Oh. And then slowly worked his way up to Digimon where she no longer bawled at the sight of Leomon's card.

"Your choice," Rika replied. "I brought… a lot of different kinds. Just in case."

"Cards Against Humanity?"

The redhead laughed. "You can't be serious."

"I'm not," he chuckled. There was a click and the door creaked open. Henry was finally smiling again, even if it was a tiny bit. He saw his fellow Tamer and Zoey standing there. "How about we just play Chinese poker. Zoey, you know how to play?"

"No, but I'm a fast learner," she replied.

"Great!" Terriermon cheered. "I'll deal our first hands!"

Down in the basement, the academic geniuses and mechanics were hard at work at trying to figure out how to complete the transporter. They were close, Yolei could just feel it. Pulling down her helmet, she flicked on her blowtorch without warning and the others jumped back in surprise.

"Uh… Are you sure you know how to operate that thing?" Ken asked.

Yolei turned to him, the flame causing him to jump back again. "How hard can it be?" Noticing that it made the others a little more nervous, she turned it off and pulled up her helmet. "I'm joking. It's not my first time using one of these and I'll be careful."

"I feel like you're leaps and bounds ahead of us on this project," Kouichi remarked. "I still haven't figured out this equation here."

"We will though," said Ken. "We just need more time." He looked up at the six different screens, each with one Monster Maker on it. "Plus, we're not alone on this."

In the courtyard, Knightmon guards roamed the outskirts, their eyes peeking out of their visors in search of possible threats. While the Kingdom Town was unanimously thought to be an impenetrable fortress, the knowledge that the Deep Ones from the Dark Ocean could get in through sources of water was enough to put everyone on high alert. No one more than Kari.

"How about we try to get your mind off of it?" Relena offered. "The chefs need some people to run errands."

The brunette nodded. "That's… fine. I'm just… I feel like something else is off. It could just be the paranoia but recently, I've been hearing what sounds to be a giant... marble rolling down the halls in the middle of the night."

"Really?" Gatomon blinked. "I thought I was the only one."

"Perhaps we should ask Shoutmon about it when he comes back," Bearmon suggested.

As the small group of four left the premises, Tommy was finishing up speaking with the head Knightmon. The Legendary Warrior rubbed his chin in thought before continuing on his search throughout the castle. Cheery gossip came from the town and Chosen Children chatter echoed through the halls but the only thing he was concerned with was the thing he felt last night.

"Did it… come from here?" he wondered aloud.

Entering a colorful room filled with throw pillows and laughter, he found himself in the nursery where Elecmon was attempting to care for the hundreds of babies. Thankfully, he wasn't alone as a Swanmon and a couple of the castle's handmaidens were there to help as well. Most of the non-partnered humans and Cody had all decided to spend their day on babysitting duty as well.

"Oh, Tommy," Elecmon huffed. He was on a seesaw with an overexcited Koromon. "Are you here to help too?"

"Actually, I'm sort of investigating something," he replied.

"Investigating something?"

Cody had already deduced what that something was. "The rolling from last night? Did you hear it come from here?"

Tommy nodded though hearing wasn't quite the word. He had felt the vibrations in the wooden floor when it had happened. It wasn't loud enough to get anyone's attention unless they were as paranoid or overly cautious like Kari but for the Legendary Warrior of Ice, the rolling was practically a rumbling. But he had been tired and wrote it off as nothing concerning. However, with the guards and a few other DigiDestined talking about it, curiosity had gotten the better of him.

"Could it have been an egg?" Tommy asked. "Elecmon, none of them happen to be missing, right?"

The Rookie tumbled off the seesaw and landed on his head. "Boy, I hope not." Elecmon rolled back onto his stomach and dusted himself off. "Unfortunately, a head count isn't quite possible as a few eggs hatched this morning and I don't exactly know how many yet."

Suddenly, Armadillomon popped his head out of a pile of pillows, nearly giving Bokomon a heart attack. "Hang on… Where's Merukimon's egg?" While playing hide-and-seek with the babies (and Bokomon and Neemon) he had planned on using the Olympian's egg as cover, since it was larger than average, but he couldn't find it. "I didn't think anything of it until now."

Cody's eyes grew wide and as Risa tumbled out of the bounce house, he handed a baby Digimon off to her before sprinting out of the nursery. Tommy and Armadillomon quickly followed close behind him, thinking this had to be something serious for him to just spring into action like that. And they found themselves marching right into the Celestial Angels' boardroom.

"Wait, they're in a meeting right now!" said Tommy.

But Cody ignored him and pushed past the double doors where every face turned to him. It was a dark room with four spotlights, one shining down on the entrance and the other three on the angels, each seated in a high throne. Down below were Glare and Julia who were reporting to them.

"We have a situation," said Cody. "Merukimon's egg has gone missing. And remember when you guys were wondering why the Demon Lords would let us have him so easily?"

It took a moment but Glare realized, "Infiltration and espionage."

Julia immediately tapped her foot on the floor twice, bringing up a keyboard and a couple of holographic screens. She rapidly typed away before pulling up several images, except they were all of nothing. It was complete static. She inputted a few more commands before turning to the others.

"All security cameras have been shut off and I can't access anything else!" she reported. "I can only assume that our shields are down too."

Armadillomon gulped nervously. "You mean the ones that make the entire Kingdom Town invisible?"

"Yes." Julia was trying her hardest to get anything online but it seemed likely that the electric room, the place that powered almost everything, was trashed. "Can't get the P.A. system working either. We have to warn everyone that our location has been compro—."

Explosions rang out from outside and tremors were sent through the entire castle. The screams of the townsfolk reached their ears as the sound of an Airdramon raid seemed to be above their heads. Although looking outside would tell anyone that there were Megadramon and Gigadramon outside as well. Without saying a word, the humans took out their digivices and quickly brought their partners out and up to their highest level.

Seraphimon leaned over in his throne. "The civilians are our priority. If you find any that aren't brainwashed, send them to the nursery. It doubles as a bunker."

"Roger!"

 **Humans in Kingdom Town** : Yolei, Cody, Kari, Ken, Henry, Rika, Ai, Mako, Risa, Zoey, Tommy, JP, Kouichi, Yutaka, Shinya, Relena, Nene, Yuu, Glare, Julia, Koh, and Sayo

 **January 24: Kingdom Town, Cobblestone Road — 10:48 PM**

The first explosion happened over a bakery, when an energy shell was dropped by a Gigadramon. It was quickly followed by several others, ringing from all over the kingdom. The citizens dropped everything and anything they were holding before running for shelter, toppling over fruit stands, kicking over crates, and tearing down awnings to use as protection. Not that they would do much.

Kari and Relena somehow found themselves in the middle of it all. Since they were seen as heroes of legend, a Burgermon quickly pulled them into her restaurant where they could see everyone cowering behind or under something. The girls ducked down the moment a bomb fell outside, shattering the glass and sending shrapnel everywhere.

"We're all going to die!"

"Mommy, I'm scared…"

"Heroes, please save us!"

"Do you really think those two little girls can save you?" a familiar voice laughed.

The bombs seemed to have stopped for the time being. Probably for field agents sent by the Demon Lords to directly eliminate the Chosen Children. Looking up from their position, Kari and Relena found themselves looking right at LadyDevimon.

Gatomon lightly brushed herself off before standing up and hissing, "As if we'd lose to you."

"Right," Relena nodded. "Even if everyone here is scared, it's still all of us against you."

LadyDevimon tilted her head to the side, an evil smile on her face. Snapping her fingers, black snakes whipped out from her but they didn't attack the humans or their partners. Instead, they looped around the innocent civilians inside the restaurant, latching onto any body part they could. Suddenly, the crying and screaming had stopped as the Digimon stood up, red-eyed and fangs bared. On each of them was an ominously glowing Dark Chain.

"Storm the castle," LadyDevimon ordered. "I'll deal with these two personally."

Bearmon noticed that she had only addressed Kari and Gatomon. "I will not forgive you for ignoring the madam!"

The ursine Rookie took a step forward but jumped back when a magical bullet nearly hit him. As the now zombified Digimon left the restaurant, someone made an appearance from behind LadyDevimon. Blond hair escaped from the cap on his hand, covering his face. The rest of his body was hidden in a white mantle made entirely of pieces of paper. Although they could see some sort of melee weapon in his left hand.

 **Digital Analyzer** : Reapmon is an enlightened Digimon that excels in all knowledge. All of this knowledge is recorded in the Red Book of Appin which he adorns upon himself as a mantle. Supposedly, each page of the book has a solution to any problem in the world. He will also allow anyone to read the page they seek so long as they can complete the ordeal he tasks them. If they are unable to, he will steal their soul using his weapon, the Dǎshénbiān.

None of them recognized this new Digimon but he didn't seem to have any mind-controlling material on him. Still, it was safe to assume that he was an enemy considering the fact that he probably could've deleted Bearmon on the spot. The encyclopedia entry for him was also a little unnerving.

So the girls got their digivices ready when Kari's abruptly lit up. Someone was trying to contact them via the still experimental communication function.

" _Kari?_ " It was Ai. " _Did you find Impmon? Our D-Power suddenly turned on and the compass is showing. It also says you're nearby! Did you find him?_ "

The brunette felt like throwing up as she looked back at the unfamiliar Digimon. "Oh no..."

LadyDevimon's smile grew wider at the sight of Kari's realization. "You remember my brother, right? Because I can promise he doesn't remember you."

"What did you to him?" Gatomon screeched.

"Reprogramming," LadyDevimon answered candidly. "We needed to. Whatever toxic hold you humans had on him was too strong for us to break without doing something… a little more forceful." For a split second, a somber expression replaced her smug one. "Had it been any other case, we wouldn't have resorted to it."

"Kari, are you okay?" Relena asked, noticing that her friend had gone pale. "Come on, I can't fight these guys alone."

The other Chosen Child furiously shook her head before looking back at their opponents. "I'm sorry, you're right." She then held the D-3 up to her mouth. "Don't worry Ai, I'll get Impmon back. I'll get them both back." Once again, she addressed Relena. "Let's do this!"

"Gatomon Digivolve to… Angewomon!"

"DNA Full Charge!" "Bearmon Warp Digivolve to… Pandamon!"

"If it's okay with you, I'll handle LadyDevimon," said the angel Digimon. "Do you think you can handle Reapmon?"

"I'll certainly try," Pandamon nodded.

 **January 24: Kingdom Town, Henry's Room — 10:49 PM**

A handful of cards landed in the center pile as Zoey suddenly slapped her hands over her ears, nails digging into her scalp as she doubled over on the floor. The Tamers put a halt to the game as they asked her what was wrong. But then the ground shook tremendously, sending the three humans falling over in a painful heap.

"Invaders," Zoey groaned, sitting up. "And lots of them."

Taking a look out the window, they were able to watch the chaos commence. Bombs from above and possessed Digimon stampeding in through the broken down walls. However, standing on top of the double doors that lead into the town, two familiar human figures stood. The breath got caught in their throats.

"It's Ryo and Suzie!" said Rika.

"This is our chance to save them!" Henry nodded.

The Tamers sprinted out the door though the redhead paused when she noticed that Zoey wasn't following. "What about you?"

"I'll stay and protect the castle," said the Legendary Warrior. "Besides, I need to go back to my room and get the noise-cancelling headphones that Wisemon made me. I won't be able to do much fighting out there without them. So go!"

Once they were gone, the Legendary Warrior's brave face dropped from her face as she fell to the floor. She pressed one side of her head into Henry's bed, desperately grabbing the pillow to cover her other ear. The terrified screams were awful. It was just like when Trailmon had crashed and the civilians were being terrorized by Gravimon except magnified by so much more.

A voice that was probably close but sounded far away reached her ears. "Zoey?!"

Through her hazy vision, the blonde could see the blurry face of a human male. He gently removed the pillow from her head and pressed something else to it. The noise cancelling headphones! Without wasting another second, she put it on and after a long while, her vision cleared enough to recognize Yutaka.

"Wha… Yutaka?" Zoey used her knuckles to knead her forehead. "How did you…?"

"I was on the training grounds with JP and Shinya when the first bomb hit," he explained. "And JP told me that you might faint if you were exposed to the noise for too long and asked me to get those for you. Are you okay?"

She didn't catch much of the first part since she was turning the knob on side of her headphones to allow her to hear some things. But she didn't need to know more than that last part. "Yeah, I'm fine. We should get you to the bunker though. Also… I owe you one."

Yutaka shrugged. "Well, I owed you first when you protected me during the Armageddemon crisis."

Turning the headphones down to one of the lower levels, Zoey's super hearing could still detect the sound of footfalls in the distance, down the hall. She knew that those belonged to the two Tamers, running to see if they could free their comrades from the evil grip that was holding them. But she was afraid they weren't going to be happy with what they saw.

Henry and Rika came to a screeching stop as they saw crowds of Digimon run past them. Some were screaming for help while others were already enslaved. Those that still had a sane head on their shoulders saw the two human teenagers and immediately started begging at their feet, pleading for them to save them from this cruel fate.

Renamon suddenly pushed her partner out of the way and coated her foot in flames. "Power Paw!"

"Beat Strike!"

The fox's attack countered that of another powerful Rookie's, sending shockwaves through the air and causing the female Tamer to fall backwards. Her red hair fell over her face, making it seem like a mirage stood in front of her. But she knew who it was and who had just tried to blow her head off her shoulders.

Rika forced herself onto her feet, shakily addressing the pair. "Ryo… Monodramon…"

Terriermon used his partner's shoulder as a kickboard to gain the high ground before spinning rapidly. "Terrier Tornado!"

"Tiny Twister!"

The force of the collision wasn't as strong as the other two but it did produce a breeze that blew debris into Henry's eyes, forcing them closed. But when he opened them again, he felt his mouth become dry and his heartbeat quicken. The very person he wanted to protect and save was standing there as his enemy.

"Suzie and Lopmon too," Henry said through clenched teeth. "What have the Demon Lords done to you?!"

Upon closer inspection, the pair noticed the black Hazard symbol glowing on Suzie's left hand and on Ryo's right forearm. The group had discussed this when the Zero Unit first appeared on them. They had believed that Hazard was the opposite. The yin to their yang. So the fact that these two Tamers now had that opposing power… just what were they capable of?

 **January 24: Kingdom Town, Chamber of the Celestial Angels — 10:50 PM**

The doors flew open and Dark Rings started covering the area. They went right for the three high thrones but ended up passing through them like they were nothing more than air. There seemed to be nothing inside the room to take control of. Or so they thought. From the shadows, gunshots were let loose, blowing up each of the Rings and leaving them in pieces on the floor.

"What?!" Arukenimon screeched from the doorway.

She and Mummymon had snuck into the palace through a secret passageway that they were able to learn about through Merukimon's egg. Their mission was to capture the figureheads of the revolution but it seems they were a few minutes too late. Instead of the Angels, three humans stepped out, each equipped with a firearm.

"We expected you guys to target this room," said Koh.

Sayo reloaded her gun, having shot the most bullets, before aiming it at the two Ultimates once more. "So we had the Angels escape."

"Now we have you cornered," JP smirked.

The spider lady and the mummy slowly tried to back out of the room but the doors slammed shut on them as the lights flicked on. The two of them could now see that Sanzomon and Gokuwmon had been hiding there as well. So not only were they clearly outnumbered but definitely overpowered. Still, they were strangely calm despite their situation.

"We had been planning on taking on three Megas," said Arukenimon, snapping her fingers. On either side of the pair, the walls exploded and two dark angels floated in front of the holes they made. "Did you really think we would come alone?"

"They…," Gokuwmon's eyes widened at the sight. "...look like Seraphimon and Ophanimon."

"I know one of them is ShadowSeraphimon," said JP. "But…"

Koh answered for him. "The other one is Ophanimon Falldown mode. She's about as deadly as her male counterpart."

 **Digital Analyzer** : Ophanimon Falldown Mode used to be a pure guardian angel like the rest of her species until she suppressed her anger to the point where she fell into madness. She swelled with rage at the world, where the number of atrocious sins piled on and on no matter how many times they were purged. In order to recreate a world of justice, she hunts down those who become an obstacle to her vision and cuts them down with her Flame Hellscythe.

"Sounds like how Chief Julia described the way Shibumi used to be," Sayo pointed out.

"He even used a scythe," Koh muttered. "Maybe one was based off the other?"

"Shibumi's not a fictional character in a legend, guys," JP sighed.

"Hey!" Mummymon shouted, waving his cane around in order to get their attention. "How dare you ignore us and our beautiful handiwork?!"

Abruptly, Arukenimon slammed her heel into her companion's stomach, sending him crashing into the doorframe, leaving a giant dent in it. " _Our_ handiwork?! It was _my_ two-hundred hairs that brought these masterpieces to life!"

So that meant those two were Digimon made entirely out of Control Spires. That was a relief because they had been searching for any mind control devices on them but came up with nothing. They were starting to worry that the enemy found a way to reprogram and Dark Digivolve an innocent Angemon and Angewomon since they were common enough to find if you searched for them in the right places.

"Leave the Megas to us," Koh said to JP.

Julia nodded before taking out her digivice. "You can take care of dumb and dumber."

" _He_ better be dumber!"

"DNA Charge Overdrive!" "Execute Spirit Evolution!"

The four enemies advanced in an attempt to interrupt the evolution process but Sanzomon threw her beads into the air. It broke apart into several hundreds of individual beads before bouncing off the walls at breakneck speed. For just a moment, their foes halted but just one second was all they needed for the evolution to be complete. Contrary to popular belief, it didn't take as long to evolve as people thought. Even if it did, the swirling data cocoon, the light of digivolution, the Matrix field, they were all excellent defense mechanisms that activated to protect them from interruption.

"Coronamon Double Warp Digivolve to… Apollomon!" "Lunamon Double Warp Digivolve to… Dianamon!" "Beetlemon!"

 **January 24: Kingdom Town, Nursery — 10:51 AM**

Shinya felt like he kept getting shafted from the larger, more urgent happenings that occurred. First, his own brother had barred him from entering the frontlines, then he was being told that he had to guard the nursery and herd Digimon inside. He knew that it was an incredibly important job but he couldn't help feeling unimportant in comparison to the other Chosen Children.

At that moment, he felt something hit the end of his shoe. Looking down, he saw a Digimon egg. Perhaps one of the panicked Digimon accidentally knocked it out of the nursery and it rolled all the way to him? The boy reached down to pick it up and return it when he heard a shout from down the hall.

"Don't touch that!"

"Eh?"

The boy almost fell backwards when an enormous, white clay doll rounded the corner, the top of his head just barely scraping the stone ceiling. If it weren't for the fact that Shinya had seen the creature on television many times before, he might've assumed that he was an enemy. But the person who had yelled was the boy running alongside the Digimon, Cody.

With Shinya's head turned away, the egg suddenly turned white and changed shape. First it was an arm extending upwards with a blade appearing in the hand. Before long, a torso was there as well. Before Shinya could do anything about it, there was a knife the size of his body about to chop him cleanly in two.

"Shinya!" Commandramon pushed his partner down as the knife stabbed the wall of the nursery, causing the people inside to shriek in terror. "Nene! Put it into bunker mode!"

The female General leapt over the last of the fleeing Digimon and slammed down on the button directly outside the door. The shutters went down and there was a sound that was akin to that of an airlock being released in a space shuttle. Pivoting around on her heel, the three humans that were in the corridor watched as the Olympian took form right before their eyes, breaking through the ceiling and sending dust and rocks to the floor.

"Merukimon is still under enemy control," said Sparrowmon.

"This is going to be tough one," Commandramon grimaced. "Are we ready for this?"

Shinya knew that he had wanted to enter a big fight. To challenge himself and his new partner. But now that he was about to face off with a literal god, he was starting to have second thoughts. After all, this was the same Digimon that gave two powerful veteran DigiDestined trouble. Or maybe it was because of how abrupt this development turned out to be. Then again, since when weren't Chosen Children thrust into fights they hadn't prepared for?

"I… I can do this…," he whispered shakily.

Commandramon saw the way his partner was trembling but instead of pointing it out, he just moved a little closer to the human's front. "We _will_ do this."

 **January 24: Kingdom Town, Basement Laboratory — 10:52 AM**

The scientists were in a frenzy as they tried to save their hard work from being crushed underneath heavy bookshelves and falling rubble. Every tremor sent another one of them flying at their desk in order to preserve the information. The three humans inside were just trying to keep everyone calm and moving towards the exit that would lead them to safety.

"Wisemon, have you put the lab in lockdown?" Ken asked.

The hooded Digimon nodded. Unlike the rest of the castle, this section ran on a separate energy source. So it had been unaffected by the generator shutting down. "Nobody can get in here unless they blast a hole through the barrier. But I made sure no one can find the barrier in the first place so we should be fine."

As if scripted, a pitch black claw broke through the ceiling, crushing a table covered in blueprints underneath it's scaly palm. Everyone had ducked down on instinct in order to avoid getting involved with the wreckage. Through the smoke, they saw the silhouette of an anthropomorphic canine with wings, floating around her was a bunch of ethereal, square pyramids. To their horror, the scientists that were still inside were trapped in those pyramids.

"Who are you?" Yolei frowned.

Hawkmon flapped his wings in a panic when he saw that the owner of the claw revealed his grotesque face. Gauze was carelessly wrapped around it, covering the eyes and parts of the forehead while his mouth was completely exposed. Meaning there wasn't even any skin to cover up the gums as rows after rows of razor sharp, dirtied, deteriorating teeth revealed themselves to them.

"And what is _that_?!" the avian squawked.

The winged canine bowed to them like she had just finished performing a drama. "I am known as Anubismon and this is my loyal servant, Shaytan. On behalf of our benevolent masters, we have come here to dispose of the Chosen Children. What I failed to do years ago, I shall complete now."

"Years ago…?" Wormmon repeated.

The Book, an important belonging of Wisemon's, opened to a page. "Ah yes, I do believe this was one of the enemies that the very first Chosen Children faced."

"So she's like Murmukusmon and Darkdramon," Kouichi muttered.

Anubismon looked over at the boy who spoke and said over the snarling of her servant, "Ah yes, I heard that those two were defeated by the Legendary Warrior of Fire. I wonder… will you give me a taste of that kind of strength?"

Kouichi already knew that he was nowhere near as strong as Takuya but that didn't mean he was going to give up before trying. After all, he was forced into the background during day one of the Digital World adventure. Forced to depend on Yolei and Relena to protect him. This time, he was going to fight with everything he had.

"Wisemon," said Kouichi. "Could you take care of Shaytan while I handle Anubismon?"

Yolei nodded before taking a step forward and taking out her D-3. "We'll back you up."

"Even Takuya needed help to take down the other two," Ken added.

"For the sake of our hard work," said Wisemon, "I shall dutifully protect our research!"

Anubismon flicked her wrist behind her and the pyramids went flying, sending the screaming scientists in that direction. She then looked over at the piles of research behind the Chosen Children and Digimon. Her specific mission was to retrieve it and bring it back to the Demon Lords. After all, they currently had no efficient method of moving between worlds as they pleased. Even Daemon found that he was having trouble doing so. But with those dossiers, it would be so easy.

"Execute Fusion Evolution… Rhihimon!"

"Hawkmon DNA Digivolve to… Sylphimon!"

"Wormmon Digivolve to... Stingmon! Digivolve to… JewelBeemon!"

Anubismon returned her focus on the three new Digimon before her. "All those who dare to bare their fangs against me… shall be punished."

 **January 24: Kingdom Town, Rooftops — 10:53 AM**

Zoey had heard it before actually seeing it. The voice of a Hunter arguing with two children who were trying to run deeper into the chaos. Leaving Yutaka in the capable… flippers... of Daipenmon, who was shocked to find that his brother wasn't in the safe zone, she took off to find the source of the voices. And she was able to find them standing on the rooftop of one of the few buildings that hadn't been demolished.

"Yuu!" she called, leaping up to meet them. "Why are Ai and Mako out here and not in the bunker?!"

Yuu let go of the twins' sleeves, still surprised by how strong they were. "They said they know where Impmon is. So they were going to try and find him."

"What?!" the Warrior blanched. She turned back to the Tamers before kneeling down in front of them. "Look, I know you guys are worried about your partner but you can't just go running off like that! What if you guys got hurt? Or worse!" She reached out and touched their shoulders, only to find that they were convulsing wildly. Her tone softened considerably. "I… I didn't mean to frighten you."

"We just…," Mako sniffed, rubbing at his eyes. "We just want to see him again. We… We lost him once and we…"

Zoey nodded before pulling them closer to her. "I know. I know how much it hurts. But please… none of us want to lose either of you two."

"But we want to save them," Ai whimpered.

"And we will help you."

Being a Chosen Child meant growing up faster than your peers. Especially if you ended up in a strange world where the normal laws of nature don't apply. Where angry and evil and mind-controlled monsters lurked behind every corner, ready to pounce the moment they see an opening. But the worst part… was that you had to experience loss. Whether it was once, twice, or a hundred times, it was inevitable.

"I'll take them back," said Yuu.

"You kids need to stay safe," Damemon nodded. "If you got hurt, it would be no good, no good at all!"

As the duo were about to lead the siblings back, Zoey's eyes grew wide. She made a move as if to push the group but instead, a massive gust of wind blew them backwards, sending them flying off the building. A food cart broke their fall but Yuu used his own body to soften the impact for the kids. Before wondering what the older Chosen Child was thinking, the building she stood upon crumbled right in front of them.

"Zoey!" Yuu yelled.

Out of the dust, a fairy flew out, coughing from being inside the cloud. The humans all sighed, relieved to see that she was safe. But not for long as she was suddenly flanked by an Oriental dragon and the roundest chicken possible.

"The Deva!" Damemon yelped. "Not good! Not good at all!"

"We can handle the Deva," Yuu grunted, sitting up. "There are twelve—."

"Eleven!" Kazemon reminded him, whizzing past an electric bolt.

"Eleven of them," Yuu corrected himself, holding up his X-Loader. "And an army of us. Damemon! Super Evolve!"

 **January 24: Kingdom Town, Front Gates — 10:54 AM**

The four Tamers stood completely still, staring at each other as the entire town fell into shambles around them. Slowly, Ryo and Suzie reached into their back pockets and each pulled out a card. The other two recognized them immediately as Digivolution cards.

"You can't be serious," Terriermon laughed though it didn't reach his eyes. "Hey… I know we can be annoying sometimes but you don't really want to fight us. Right?" He held out his arms as a sign of peace and took a tentative step forward. "Momentai…"

Renamon got into a fighting stance when the opposing Tamers took out their D-Powers. "I don't think they'll listen to us right now."

"We don't have a choice," said Rika, pulling out her own card.

Henry took a few seconds before following suit. "Suzie… I'm going to save you."

"Digi-Modify! Digivolution Activate!"

"Terriermon Digivolve to… Gargomon!" "Renamon Digivolve to… Kyubimon!"

"Lopmon Digivolve to… Turuiemon!" "Monodramon Digivolve to… Strikedramon!"

 **Digital Analyzer** : Strikedramon aims to be a Virus Buster like the famous WarGreymon who would later become one of the Royal Knights. While he is a naturally kind-hearted Digimon, the moment he lays eyes on a virus type, he will go berserk. The dragon won't stop his assault until his target is nothing but trash data. They say that when this happens, his red hair bursts into a scorching flame, colored in a bluish-white blaze.

"Good thing neither of us are virus types," Gargomon commented. "More accurately speaking, good thing Guilmon isn't here."

"Come to think of it, we never did see Monodramon's Champion form," Kyubimon remarked. "That must be the reason why."

The four Digimon seemed to be analyzing each other before Turuiemon and Strikedramon lunged forward. They both preferred close quarters combat unlike their opponents so it was no surprise when Gargomon and Kyubimon were forced onto the defensive and evasive immediately. The nine-tailed fox had excellent speed and grace so she was able to maneuver around the slashes and bites with ease. The fire-armed rabbit was not as lucky as he took punch after kick after punch after kick.

"Digi-Modify! Formation Beta: Rubber Body Activate!"

"Whoa!" Gargomon yelped when he felt Turuiemon's fist enter his stomach but not quite damage him. "Hey, that tickles! Bunny Pummel!"

Turuiemon back flipped out of the way and landed just a meter away before rocketing forward once more. This time, her own partner used a Hyper Chip card to increase her battle strength and a Hyper Speed card to make her faster than lightning. "Gauntlet Claw!"

Even though Gargomon still barely felt the pain from the attack, he was still launched across the town, destroying a few houses on his trip. Being buried underneath rubble had to hurt and Henry could feel each impact on his own body. The Tamer couldn't believe how quickly his own sister could overwhelm him.

"Henry!" Rika snapped. "You and Gargomon are holding back."

"Huh?"

"If you want to save Suzie, you have to fight her like she's actually the enemy," she told him firmly. "There is a chance you can save her with your pacifism but there is a certainty of losing her if you're beaten here. You can't lose. You hear me? So momentai and fight like you mean it."

"How can I?" Henry shook. "I couldn't even fight wild Digimon once. I'm supposed to fight my own sister?"

"Momentai," Rika repeated before pulling out a card. "Until then, let me and Kyubimon take care of this. Digi-Modify!"

-X-

 **The Chosen Children in the Digital World have split off into smaller groups in order to fight the armies of the Demon Lord. But the moment they leave, the final stronghold gets invaded by the enemy! Now the ones that remained in Kingdom Town are in trouble. Will they be able to protect the kingdom? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **Settlement to the North —** Davis, Jeri, Kenta, Takuya, Kiriha VS ?

 **Settlement to the South** — TK, Takato, Kouji, Kristy, Taiki VS ?

 **Cobblestone Road —** Kari, Relena VS LadyDevimon, Reapmon

 **Chamber of Celestial Angels —** JP, Koh, Sayo, Gokuwmon, Sanzomon VS Arukenimon, Mummymon, ShadowSeraphimon, Ophanimon Falldown Mode

 **Nursery —** Cody, Shinya, Nene VS Merukimon

 **Basement Lab —** Yolei, Ken, Kouichi, Wisemon VS Anubismon, Shaytan

 **Town Market —** Zoey, Yuu, Ai, Mako VS Deva

 **Main Gates —** Henry, Rika VS Suzie, Ryo

 **So I know this is a lot to take in, a bit of an information overload. But this is obviously very important to progress the story. You'll get to see a more focused structure in the next chapter as per usual. Also, just as note, not all of these fights and matchups were planned and even the members that left weren't set in stone except for a few. So it took me some time to figure them out. For those wondering what happened to Glare, Julia, and Tommy… they're fighting off the raids so don't worry too much about them. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed and please leave a review!**

 **Also, did you know that in one week, it'll have been two whole years since Future was first published? I am just blown away that there are those of you who have stuck by this story for this long. Even those I've never heard from but like to. Happy anniversary!**

 **P.S. If you're in any of the areas that are going to be affected by the following hurricanes or have already felt the effects, then please stay safe.**


	32. Heavens Help Us Out

**Terriermon** : Oops…

 **Kari** : What is it?

 **Terriermon** : Well, last chapter, Henry, Rika, and Zoey are playing cards so I was asked to bring the prop back in for this chapter. But… I ended up getting Henry's deck instead.

 **Henry** : *Sighs* How can you possibly mess that up? My deck was in my pocket.

 **Tagiru** : *Raises hand* Actually! I was curious about what kind of deck you used. We learned a lot about Takato's during New Year's, which was that they were mostly useless, but we don't know anything about yours.

 **Takato** : Hey! ...They're only useless in battle.

 **Terriermon** : Ooh! I got this! *Clears throat and pulls in a whiteboard from off screen* Unlike most players, Henry uses a variety deck. This means that he has a wide assortment of types and attributes. He likes to build his decks based on stats. For example, faster Digimon means he will stack strength and defense cards while stronger monsters will get speed and accuracy boosts.

 **Jeri** : Isn't one of his favorite cards to use Substitute?

 **Tommy** : Oh! I know what that is! If a Digimon is in the line of attack, then they can switch with a weaker one in your hand. You take no damage for the attack so it's great for stalling.

 **Tai** : Let me guess… It's a dud in real battle.

 **Henry** : Not true when used in combination with Piedmon's Mirror.

 **Takuya** : Isn't that the card that allows you to draw any card so long as they are the same one's on the enemy's side?

 **Rika** : Exactly. In actual battle, it will create a clone of the enemy Digimon though they're nothing more than a lifeless doll. You can then use Substitute immediately after to get that clone in the line of fire since it will always be weaker. The best part, whatever happens to that clone will happen to the real one.

 **Ryo** : Unfortunately, you'd need the fastest reflexes alive to pull off that combination in time. So while it's technically not a dud, it's not a good idea to use it unless the bad guy is slow.

 **Terriermon** : Another favorite of ours is Manufacturing Error. It's a card that only works on two Digimon, MegaGargomon and MetalGarurumon. Both Digimon are able to use an attack that involves shooting missiles from every part of their bodies. But while my missiles are fiery…

 **Gabumon** : Mine are icy!

 **Taiki** : So in other words, Manufacturing Error allows those two to switch elements for those attacks. But you don't necessarily need them both on the field.

 **Zero Unit** : *Slams a buzzer, confetti starts falling, a banner drops down from above saying "I'm suffering greatly!"* Correct!

 **Keenan** : *Glancing around* Where did you come from?

 **Zero Unit** : My mother's womb. Anyway, I just got back from writing fight scenes and I am pooped. So while I go lie down, I hope you guys enjoy today's chapter. I slaved away to get every detail just perfect. *Mutters under breath* Which is a lie… I was just trying to get it over with.

 **Sora** : You… do realize that all of this is going to be transcribed and everyone will know what you just said.

 **Zero Unit** : ...Enjoy today's chapter! Bye!

-X-

 **January 24: Kingdom Town, Front Gates — 10:55 AM**

"Momentai," Rika repeated before pulling out a card. "Until then, let me and Kyubimon take care of this. Digi-Modify! Doppelganger Activate!"

Kyubimon, while still evading Strikedramon's hits, suddenly split into two. While her stats have halved, the ends of all eighteen tails began glowing brightly, practically blinding the two foes. "Fox-Tail Inferno!" Eighteen will-o-wisps, not very powerful individually, but with so many, they easily overwhelmed Strikedramon and he wasn't able to dodge any of them as he was pelted from all sides.

Turuiemon shot forward, shrouding her presence so that she could sneak up on the two foxes from behind. "Ninja Fist!"

"Digi-Modify!" Rika was already a step ahead. "Formation Beta: Refraction Activate!"

The rabbit found that while her fist should be going straight, she had ended up striking nothing but thin air. It stunned her but she continued to attack, only to find that every one of her hits were bending around Kyubimon's body. The card effect only lasted five seconds but those few moments of confusion were more than enough to set up a counterattack.

"Kodengeki!"

The fox, coated in electricity, smashed her head into Turuiemon's stomach, sending her flying in the other direction. Rika side-stepped out of the way of the tumbling Champion before calling for her partner to look out behind her. Strikedramon had finally recovered from the flame attack.

"Digi-Modify! Double Dose Activate!" Ryo called out.

Strikedramon was charging forward, enveloping himself in red-hot flames. "Strike Fang!"

"Digi-Modify! Formation Delta: Earth Wall Activate!"

True to the card's name, a wall erupted from the ground in front of Kyubimon. The dragon smacked face-first into it, demolishing it immediately but it slowed him down enough for the fox to flip over him. Once she was directly over his head, she began spinning incredibly fast, the flames on her tail covering her entire body.

"Dragon Wheel!"

"Wow…," Gargomon gaped as the attack hit, lighting up the place. "Rika and Kyubimon… they really are a top tier combination."

Henry wordlessly agreed with his partner's sentiment before looking over at his fellow Tamer. Now that he thought about, Rika had continued improving herself over the last five years. She discovered new card combinations and practiced against highly ranked players online. Though she hadn't played the game competitively in a while, she would implement those strategies in actual battle to see how well they worked.

It wasn't just in the card game either. If Rika found herself struggling on a subject in school or with a personal project of hers, she would not quit until she got better at it. It usually took weeks before she set aside her pride to ask for help. But until then, you could bet she would do as much research and study as hard as humanly possible to get it done herself.

"The Demon Lords were right," Ryo muttered.

Henry and Rika were shocked to hear him talk so lifelessly. Actually, they were surprised to hear him speak at all considering everything else has been calling out card modifications. But they were more concerned with the four black cards he pulled out from his back pocket.

"You want to use them now," said Suzie. "Well… I suppose it can't hurt." She reached over and took a card from him before sliding it through her D-Power. "Digi-Modify!" Her partner suddenly started glowing purple. "Endless Greed Activate!" She didn't stop there as she slid another card through. "Hyper Chip Activate!"

Weird, garbled static suddenly came from the D-Power as the last card she used suddenly swiped through the device multiple times without her having to do anything. All of sudden, Turuiemon let out a terrifying roar before punching the ground. A fissure appeared as the streets were upturned, buildings toppled, and Kyubimon had turn around to save the humans before they fell in as well.

"What was that?!" Rika yelped.

"It was like Suzie had used Hyper Chip a hundred times," Henry gasped.

Now it was Ryo's turn as he carefully selected one of the black cards to use. "Digi-Modify! Bountiful Wrath Activate."

Strikedramon sprinted across the field, covered in a red glow, breaking right past any rubble that was still uprooting itself from the ground. "Strike Claw!" The group was certain that if that attack connected, they would be done for.

"Digi-Modify!" Henry shouted. "WarGreymon's Brave Shield Activate!"

Gargomon quickly got in the way of the claw, the shield appearing in his hands. But with one impact, it shattered into several pieces. The next thing they knew, Gargomon was flying right into Kyubimon, sending all of them tumbling into a painful pile.

"What is with those cards?" Gargomon groaned.

"The Demon Lords obviously made them based off their sins," Henry huffed.

Ryo and Suzie pulled out two more cards. They seemed ordinary enough. But then, from their fingertips, the cards turned black, much like how the other Tamers would produce a blue or green card. Without letting their opponents catch their breaths, they swiped the cards. The end result became obvious when Strikedramon and Turuiemon returned to their Rookie forms.

"They're going to Biomerge?!" Kyubimon blanched.

Rika pulled out a green card. "We can't waste time. Henry… Will you…?"

Henry nodded, following her lead. "I'll fight. And… I'll win."

"Digi-Modify! Biomerge Activate!"

They had expected to see Justimon in Ryo's place and well, he certainly looked similar to the warrior. This Digimon that stood before them had inverted colors and his scarf was a dark blue. The Trinity Arm, which could change into three different combat types, was on the left instead of the right.

"Unjustimon!"

 **Digital Analyzer** : There isn't much distinction when it comes to appearance between Justimon and Unjustimon. However, their personalities are as different as night and day. Unjustimon is a very selfish warrior who only fights for his self benefit. If it doesn't help him, then he doesn't really care. He will take advantage of the young Digimon that confuse him for their hero, Justimon, to bring himself closer to his goals.

As for the other one, as anticipated, they saw Cherubimon staring at them with a malicious grin and beady eyes. And it wasn't the angel of virtue, one of the faces of the United Xros Heart Army. No, this was the fallen angel of vice, the tainted beast that anyone who had seen the Digimon movie would recognize. From her tattered ears to the ugly veins on her oversized arms.

"Cherubimon!"

 **Digital Analyzer** : Angels of virtue are easily tainted and Cherubimon is no exception. With only minor changes to her appearance, the fallen angel has acquired a taste for negative emotions and casts judgment on those she finds to have the darkest and deepest of such trauma. It'd be wise not to cross paths with this beast when she's hungry.

Unjustimon ran forward, changing his Trinity Arm into a laser blade. "Voltage Blade!" Swinging his limb in a slashing arc, the blade extended and cut into the ground beside Sakuyamon who immediately created a forcefield around herself. As the weapon ran over her, there was an explosion and she was shrouded in smoke, unable to see him change from Critical to Blitz. "Injustice Burst!"

Unbeknownst to the enemy, Rika used an Enemy Sighted card which allows her to keep an eye on the opponent in her mind's eye. So she wasn't caught off guard. "Spirit Strike!"

The two attacks collided with each other, sending up debris everywhere. Both fighters leapt into the air and shot towards each other, foot-first. One covered his entire body in black electricity while the other had her foot covered in golden lightning.

"Injustice Kick!"

"Thunder Kick!"

The impact seemed to be suspended in air for a solid minute before they both blasted away from each other. They seemed to have been equally matched in that particular bout which was a little alarming for Sakuyamon. After all, Rika had used a power-up modification prior to the attack. She was unsure if whether or not Ryo had done the same but they were in trouble if he didn't.

" _Calm_ _down_ ," Renamon urged. " _Remember, Injustice Kick is his finisher. Thunder Kick is a basic move of mine._ "

Rika nodded from inside. " _Right… Momentai, Rika, you can do this. Digi-Modify! Former Force Activate!_ "

This particular card was a new favorite of the Tamers though it can only be used on high level Digimon. It basically allowed them to tap into the powers of their previous forms. So for example, in Sakuyamon's case, she'd be able to use the movesets from Renamon, Kyubimon, or Taomon. Though the strength would belong to that of her current form and she could only use one attack.

Spinning her staff around, Sakuyamon slammed the end into the ground, shouting, "Thousand Spells!" From the opening at the top of her weapon, talismans began flying out in all directions, surrounding Unjustimon from all sides. With a snap of her fingers, they all detonated, sending up a cloud of mass destruction.

"That's… probably not going to be enough," Sakuyamon assumed.

The smoke and ash seemed to be getting sucked into something from inside and once it was clear enough, they could see that an unscathed Unjustimon was somehow eating the explosion. When he finished, he wiped away at his nonexistent mouth before pointing it at Sakuyamon. He exhaled and suddenly, the talismans were coming right back her!

"Voracious Gluttony," she heard Unjustimon mutter.

"Another Demon Lord card?!" Sakuyamon gasped. It wasn't the time to think about it though as the talismans surrounded her. A second before exploding, she created a stormy dome of cherry blossoms that protected her from the force of the returning attack. "Amethyst Wind!"

" _What do we do?_ " Rika asked. " _He still has other Demon Lord cards. Not only are we unaware of the effects but we'll be outmatched if he uses them._ "

Renamon took a moment before replying. " _Chances are, he only has one left. He only pulled out four from his back pocket. Since this battle began, he used two and Suzie used one. There's a chance that Suzie has the other three._ "

In other words, they could wait it out until Ryo used the last Demon Lord card. If they could avoid whatever damning effect it had, then they might stand a chance. Not only that, but they still had a few trump cards up their sleeve. Quite literally, the Fox Card move. If they timed it right, they could potentially seal Unjustimon's Trinity Arm, leaving him practically defenseless.

Ryo's voice suddenly reached their ears. " _Digi-Modify! System Reroute Activate!_ "

Sakuyamon's eyes widened when she heard that. It's not a Demon Lord card but it is a big risk to take. System Reroute only works on machine and android Digimon, putting all the energy from one part of the body to another. In this case, Unjustimon was transferring all the strength from the Trinity Arm into his leg.

" _He plans on finishing us in one move?!_ " Renamon exclaimed.

Unjustimon leapt into the air with his leg sparking with tremendous amounts of power. "Injustice!"

" _No choice_ ," Rika muttered as she pulled out a card. " _We'll use our Cosmic Card._ "

"Kick!"

" _Digi-Modify! Saturn—!_ "

" _It's your fault._ "

The image of Ryo and Monodramon being taken by IceDevimon flashed across Rika's mind as she stood frozen, card halfway through her digivice. She only came back when she felt a foot make impact with her chest. In a catastrophic explosion, she was sent flying into building which crumbled into dust. It took a moment but she was able to dig herself out.

Unjustimon landed with both feet on the ground as he stared back at her. "Injustice prevails."

Rika was hugging herself as tightly as possible, trying to keep herself from trembling. Her breath was shaky and everything in her peripheral vision was blurry. There was only a faint realization that she was human again due to the amount of blood she was clearly losing. It dripped onto the rubble and oozed its way into the cracks but she couldn't bring herself to stop the bleeding.

"Rika!" came a muffled voice. "Rika!"

The Tamer looked down and saw a badly bruised, but still in one piece, Viximon staring up at her. For a moment, she didn't recognize the In-Training Digimon. But the second it struck her that it was her partner, Rika pulled her into her embrace.

"I'm sorry…," Rika coughed. "If I had been stronger… none of this would've happened. We wouldn't even be fighting Ryo right now."

Viximon tried to shake her head but she was being squeezed too tight. "It's not your fault. None of this is your fault. We can only blame the Demon Lords."

Unjustimon was making the slowest approach towards them possible. It was like he wanted Rika to lament on her failures before taking her life. But almost as soon as he raised his Trinity Arm, he returned to his two base components. Rika looked up, surprised. However, judging from the dead expression the older Tamer was throwing out her, there was no way that he was back to normal.

"Hungry," Ryo murmured. The teenager turned around. "We used up too much energy."

Monodramon nodded in agreement before following behind his Tamer. "Next time… we will defeat you."

They vanished in a black haze just as the sound of what could only be a twenty-story building collapsing reached their ears. As Rika started to calm down, she realized that it was MegaGargomon. The outcome of that battle must've been drawing to a close, she could tell.

When the battle between the two colossal Digimon started, MegaGargomon wanted to minimize the damage they would bring to the town. So the massive robot immediately took to the skies, leading his foe away from the buildings and the castle and the innocent civilians. But he didn't make it very far. The moment he was at the outskirts, dark clouds started gathering over his head.

"Storm of Judgment!"

" _Uh oh…_ ," Terriermon mumbled.

Lightning began falling from the sky like raindrops in a storm. Since MegaGargomon was such a huge target, it was near impossible to avoid the bolts. As he swerved from left to right, trying to stay airborne, his back still facing Cherubimon, he found that he had made a grave error.

"Lightning Spear!"

Hitting him square in the back, MegaGargomon arched in pain just as he was struck by multiple strikes from above. Everything seemed to burn as thousands of volts coursed through the entirety of his body. When the storm finally subsided, he dropped to the ground, looking like melting scrap metal.

" _What am I doing?_ " Henry grunted. " _Have to… get up. Gr… Digi-Modify! Maintenance Activate!_ "

As his wounds started repairing themselves, he thought back to how angry he had been while traveling to the Kingdom Town. How he had lashed out at the other Chosen Children who were only trying to help him. How he was told by the enemy that he was a danger to his own friends and how he almost proved it when he was about to punch Kiriha. He couldn't take back those actions. But he had to take back his sister.

Without anymore hesitation, every port on MegaGargomon's body opened up as he turned to face the approaching foe. "Mega Barrage!"

Suzie didn't hesitate either in using a Demon Lord card. " _Digi-Modify! Abundant Envy Activate._ "

Despite the fact that Cherubimon was not a machine in any way, gun ports began opening up in her like the mouths of predatory pythons. Black missiles were docked inside those ports, ready to be fired when she said the word. It was pretty clear what this particular sin card did. "Mega Barrage!" Both attacks exploded in midair, going off like thousands firecrackers.

" _No more holding back!_ " Terriermon reminded Henry.

" _Right,_ " Henry nodded. " _Digi-Modify! Hyper Speed Activate!_ "

MegaGargomon sprinted forward, breaking through the cloud and throwing a rapid right jab. The fallen angel barely had the time to react as she attempted to block the blow by raising her arms. The giant wasn't finished with his onslaught though as he swung his left leg and delivered a powerful roundhouse into Cherubimon's side, sending her soaring.

No hesitation. "Gargo Missiles!"

Cherubimon halted her descent towards a crash landing. From the inside, Suzie pulled out another black card. "Digi-Modify! Spreading Sloth Activate." From the center of the Mega's chest, a dark field expanded, enveloping a wide area. The moment the missiles entered the circle, they suddenly started malfunctioning, harmlessly dropping like stones to the ground.

"Wh...What is this?" MegaGargomon huffed. His entire body grew heavy and it was almost like a lullaby was playing over and over in his head. Henry recognized it to be a song that was sung to him when he was a baby. Even back then, he would go ballistic but the moment this song played, he calmed down.

The moon is bright, the wind is quiet~

The tree leaves hang over the window.

My little baby, go to sleep quickly~

Sleep, dreaming sweet dreams.

Cherubimon raised her giant arms as electricity sparked to life from her fingertips. "Thousand Spears!"

" _Henry!_ " Terriermon shouted.

The Tamer jolted upright mere seconds from being electrocuted once more. As quickly as possible, he pulled out the one card he was told never to use unless he absolutely had to. No more hesitation. " _Digi-Modify!_ " If he wanted to save Suzie, he couldn't hesitate. " _Uranus Heavens Activate!_ "

A white, almost silver, light covered MegaGargomon from head to toe as he suddenly vanished, the lightning strikes flying right into the sky. Cherubimon paused as she tried to figure out where her foe went. But then he reappeared behind her, slamming into her back with a side kick. Once more, he vanished as Cherubimon tried to backhand him.

Uranus Heavens, one of the nine Cosmic Cards, allowed the user to gain speed that far surpassed any creature known to man or mon. Furthermore, it gave every physical attack an extra blow. Essentially, every time MegaGargomon will punch or kick or chop his opponent, the enemy would feel two impacts, one from the attack and the other from the sonic boom that the strike created. Janyu felt that this card would be most useful in the hands of his martial artist son.

Cherubimon was incapable of keeping up as she was hit over and over again from all sides. A solid minute of a beating passed before she was given an axe kick to the head, sending her straight down. A crater was formed where she lay as MegaGargomon opened up every gun port in his body once more.

"Mega—!"

" _You want to hurt me again?_ "

The sound of a little girl crying hit Henry's ears and went off like a bomb. Even though he wasn't even on solid ground, Henry felt like he was teetering back and forth on a tightrope, hanging over a floor of spikes. Looking down at his body, he saw that his bare hands and feet were dyed dark red. Horrified, he let out a wail that shook the few buildings that were still standing.

Cherubimon, badly injured, slowly made her way back up to the sky. Electricity crackled in her hand which she placed it on MegaGargomon's chest. "Lightning Blast."

The biomerged Digimon crash landed and by then, the time limit for the effects of the Cosmic Card had ended, forcing him to split into two. Henry attempted to sit back up but the side effects from the modification were already kicking in. A sonic boom smacked him right in the face. The rest of his body was later hit as well, the equivalent to the number of times he had done to Cherubimon. As it went on and on, Henry couldn't help thinking that he deserved it.

Suzie softly landed with Lopmon on her shoulder. "Hungry." All of her injuries which she should've sustained after returning to normal had disappeared. In her hand was a Former Force card. She must've used it and tapped into Antylamon's healing power, Meditation Cure, to repair herself instantaneously before returning to normal. "I want to eat."

The sonic booms finally ended but Henry wasn't able to hear anything that his sister said. The only thing he could hear was his own sobbing and her footsteps getting farther and farther away. The scent of blood overwhelmed his senses as he kept his head down, forehead in the dirt. All he wanted was to save Suzie but it just didn't seem possible for him.

Gummymon crawled over to his partner, already losing consciousness. "Mo… men… tai…"

"How?" Henry weeped. "How…?"

 **January 24: Kingdom Town, Chamber of the Celestial Angels — 10:55 PM**

The Legendary Warrior of Thunder had asked Gokuwmon and Sanzomon to allow him to take on the two Ultimates on his own. As Beetlemon, he flew around the room, easily avoiding getting hit by their Spider Thread and Snake Bandage attacks. The armored battle paused directly above them, coating his fist in thunder.

"Thunder Fist!"

The Warrior shot a bolt at the ceiling which split into multiple rays and started raining down like hail. Arukenimon quickly shot a thread at the far wall, using it to yank herself out of the way. Mummymon wasn't able to do that so he was forced to take the full brunt of the attack, being zapped by a couple hundred volts of electricity.

In the meantime, Arukenimon crawled up the wall and onto the ceiling. As soon as she was facing the humanoid bug, she exhaled a poisonous green gas. "Acid Mist!"

The fog immediately started corroding any part of the ceiling that it came into contact with, causing it to sizzle, melt, and drip to the floor. So there was obviously no use in creating a makeshift shield from anything in the room. So instead, Beetlemon just took off at top speed, going around the mist and slamming an electrified foot into Arukenimon's back, sending her through her own attack and into the fried arms of Mummymon.

"Oh my, how forward!" Mummymon exclaimed.

"You idiot!" Arukenimon snapped, smacking him across the cheek and standing up. "How can we not take down a single Digimon?!"

Mummymon stood up, rubbing the bruise on his face. "We'll just change tactics then, darling." He raised a hand and a bunch of Bakemon suddenly started rising from out of the floorboards. "Necrophobia!" They darted towards the Legendary Warrior with huge grins that were wiped off almost immediately.

"Thunder Fist!"

Like sending a bowling ball straight down the center of an alley, Beetlemon struck the Bakemon taking point directly in the face and shot him straight through the rest. It was a perfect strike and as an added bonus, the ghost ended up hitting Mummymon directly on the forehead, knocking him out immediately. Arukenimon let out an exhausted sigh, hanging her head and wondering how she got into this mess.

"You are so useless…"

"You two aren't very strong for Ultimates, are you?" Beetlemon chuckled. "Not to mention, you're completely out of sync with each other."

For some reason, this remark was what spurred the duo to react angrily, springing right back into action. "We'll show you out of sync!" They simultaneously released an attack on him.

"Spider Thread!"

"Snake Bandage!"

This time, Beetlemon made no move to get out of the way. Instead, he grabbed both of their attacks with his palms covered in electricity and sent lightning running down them like wires. They reached the Ultimates and they were sent into a world of pain. The scent of burning bug and gauze instantly filled the room as they had their faces pressed to the floor, trying to cope with the stinging sensation in their bodies.

Beetlemon let out a sigh as he landed a few feet away from them. "I guess I should put you guys out of your misery." His horn became coated in yellow electricity as he crouched low, ready to lunge at them at full power. "Lightning—!"

Gokuwmon frowned, looking up. "Who is playing that music right now?"

"Blitz!"

The gorilla turned back just in time to see Beetlemon charging right at him with electricity running from his horn to his toes. The ape raised his hands to absorb the blow but because he was caught by surprise, he ended up getting shoved and he crashed into the wall behind him. Gokuwmon struggled for a bit, grunting as he was finally able to throw off the opposing Digimon by judo tossing the Warrior over his own head.

All the while, Sanzomon stood perfectly calm as she raised a slender hand to point at Arukenimon who had returned to her human form. "It would appear that the flute she possesses carries a tune that is favorable for insect Digimon," the priestess explained. "The moment she started playing, Beetlemon fell under her control."

Gokuwmon rubbed at his cheek as he got away from the brainwashed ally. "Master! You should've said something earlier!"

"...," Sanzomon glanced over to her pupil and cocked her head to the side. "Was I too slow?"

Gokuwmon let out a sigh before quickly jumping back to avoid a Thunder Fist. But as he was about to draw out his weapon, his arms were suddenly wrapped in electrified gauze. It kept him from taking action as well as damaging him, burning any part of his body that had gotten wrapped up.

"Nice work, dear," Mummymon grinned.

A vein appeared on Arukenimon's forehead but she couldn't yell at him or hit him since she was busy playing the flute. So instead, she just glared daggers at him over her glasses. Mummymon shrank away a bit when he noticed.

"Thunder Fist!"

Gokuwmon, unable to move, was punched in the face. He was sent flying into another wall where he became dazed and unfocused. That was when Sanzomon finally did something. While Beetlemon was turned away, she placed a gold ring over his head and started muttering some sort of prayer under her breath.

Beetlemon suddenly froze on the spot, hands flying to his hand as he doubled over in pain. When Arukenimon saw this, she started to play her flute more aggressively, if that was even possible. But she could no longer make Beetlemon do her bidding.

Gokuwmon pulled out out his staff and broke it in half, pointing the pistols at Mummymon who tried to counter with his own prized firearm. Unfortunately, as the bullets hit each other in midair, the undead Digimon came to the realization that he couldn't produce as many as the enemy so he was pelted over and over again. Once he was knocked down, Gokuwmon reattached his weapons and pointed his staff at Arukenimon. "Super-Electrified Lightning Cannon!"

The arachnid, still trying to take control of Beetlemon and force him to become her living shield, was unable to dodge the attack in time. It exploded and she found herself flying out one of the holes that had been created by her fakes. Mummymon, in a panic, grabbed her, throwing the limp body over his shoulder and fled the scene as fast as he could.

"We will remember this!" he called back.

Sanzomon stopped her prayer. "Good riddance."

The Legendary Warrior was no longer experiencing the worst migraine in his life as he returned to his human form. "You know… you probably could've fooled them into making me slide evolve into my beast form. MetalKabuterimon's more machine than bug."

"I wanted to see my pupil fight again," Sanzomon stated. "He's been getting lazy."

"That was your reason?!" Gokuwmon and JP snapped.

A tremor nearly made the men lose their balance and they realized that while they got rid of two nuisances, there were still two more. Unfortunately, they were also aware that they would probably get in the way if they were to try and help. Then again, it wasn't likely for the Olympians to lose this fight in the first place

"We should continue protecting the castle," said Sanzomon.

JP nodded in agreement. "I'll see if I can free any enslaved civilians."

"Good luck and godspeed," Gokuwmon told him before they split off.

As they left the room, they took one last look at the massive holes in the high ceiling. They had been created in the beginning of the battle. Looking up at the sky, they could see the blazing glow of the sun and the soothing shine of the moon. It was impossible for both to be up there at the same time yet there they were. And attempting to eclipse them were two black angels of death.

"Shadow Shockwave!"

ShadowSeraphimon flicked his wrists and an invisible pulse travelled through the air. The God, not knowing where it would come from, leapt high into the air. The rooftop he had stood upon just moments ago peeled away like an orange, row after row of tiles flying off in various directions. But it seemed like this worked in the angel's favor as well since Apollomon would have difficulty maneuvering in midair.

"Tch, how annoying," Apollomon said under his breath as black bolts started flying towards him. With a wave of his hand, a wall of flames protected him from every bolt. The shining jewels on his hands started glowing brightly as he pointed them in the general direction of the enemy through the fire wall. "Arrow of Apollo!"

ShadowSeraphimon flew upwards, skillfully avoiding the arrows. He may be made up of Control Spires but he certainly fought like the real deal.

The Olympian raised a hand and blocked a powerful punch delivered by ShadowSeraphimon although it wasn't as impressive as his own strength. However, landing a blow wasn't the goal of the angel as he used his other hand to grip onto Apollomon's wrist. Lightning began coursing through the enemy's body and into Apollomon's own.

"Shadow Starburst!"

Koh watched from below, his sword sheathed on his belt. If a member of the Demon Lord's forces would get to close, he would knock them back with a DigiSoul filled hit from the scabbard. But right now, he found the fight between his partner and the fake Digimon to be far more interesting.

"It'll take more than that to take down a God," the Tamer said to himself.

"Is that all?" Apollomon asked once all the electricity had been poured out. "Now… Let me show you a real punch. Phoebus Blow!"

Koh smiled as he watched the enemy fall like a meteor, crashing into the ground and making a crater the size of the castle. Well, that was an exaggeration. But Apollomon's still steaming and slightly glowing fist should've been evidence enough that his partner was not to be trifled with.

In between the God's hands, a miniature sun burst into life before being flung towards the enemy. "I'll end this now! Solblaster!"

With a burst of hot light that rivaled the most intense of wildfires, ShadowSeraphimon was deleted and there was nothing to show that he had been there to begin with. Koh had to rub at his eyes to make sure he hadn't gone blind from the final attack as his partner landed beside him. The God reached down and lifted up his partner in his hands.

"That felt too easy," Koh remarked. "Somehow, I doubt that the Demon Lords would only send that much firepower to bring down the Celestial Angels."

"Do you think there's someone else?" Apollomon inquired.

The Tamer couldn't be sure to say the least. "For now, we should meet up with Sayo. Chances are, she's done with her match as well."

The ladies were in a match of blades, sparks flying with each slash from their weapons. Dianamon's harken spun around her body elegantly as they countered against Ophanimon's flame-ridden scythe. It wasn't just sparks that flew either, every impact seemed to bring about a loud hissing noise and steam billowing out from the point of connection. It would appear that in order to counter the flames, the Goddess was constantly covering her weapon in ice.

Sayo glanced between the battle and the encyclopedia entry on her digivice. "Ophanimon Falldown Mode… Her stats are higher than that of ShadowSeraphimon. They're even more impressive than any of the Celestial trio individually."

Dianamon pulled back and stretching the quill-like structures on her body, started forming crystalline ice arrows. With the grace of a highly trained archer, she released a flurry of projectiles flying at her enemy. But with a single arc of the scythe, the arrows evaporated instantaneously.

"Okay…," the Goddess muttered. "I see I'll have to try something else." A moon began to make an appearance from behind her, shimmering brilliantly. "Goodnight Moon!"

Ophanimon flew right into the light, completely undaunted as she pulled her scythe back. Dianamon flew out of the way of the slice but not fast enough as it cut into her arm. She felt herself losing some data but didn't let it distract her as she slammed her boot into the angel's stomach, putting some distance between them.

"It didn't work," said Sayo, eyes wide.

"Could it be because she's made out of Control Spires?" Dianamon theorized. "But if that's the case…"

Her Tamer already pieced it together. "Then other mental or psychological attacks won't work on her. That means she's invulnerable to two-thirds of our attacks." Actually, now that she thought about it, Dianamon already tried using her third attack, the ice arrows, but they clearly didn't work either. "Don't tell me we can't win unless Koh is here…"

Both she and Koh had decided to hand over their other partners over to Taiki and Kiriha, think that the two of them would need the assistance of Olympians more than they. They also felt that Marsmon and Venusmon had a deeper connection to the Generals than they did to the Tamers. Besides, for them, there was no partner as dependable as Coronamon and Lunamon. But now, seeing her partner struggle, Sayo was starting to regret her decision.

"Sayo!" Dianamon grunted, parrying another deadly blow. "This is not the time to be getting distracted."

The Tamer jolted and quickly pulled out her crossbow. Her partner was right. The only way they could win, aside from waiting for Koh, was if she did something as well. So taking aim, using her forearm to keep stable, she pointed an arrow for Ophanimon's wing. If she could shoot down just one of them, it would tip the scale a little more in their favor.

Just before she could let an arrow fly, a gunshot caught her attention. Voidlings were making their way into the castle grounds and a few were shooting at the human girl. They were also accompanied by legions of possessed Digimon. So the girl quickly tucked and rolled out of the way before pulling out her pistol. Popping her head out from behind her stone cover, she let loose a flurry of bullets and arrows, taking out Voidling after Voidling. The controlled Digimon were a different issue as she would have to aim right for the thing taking control of them.

All of a sudden, another gunshot rang through the air. Her head jerked over in the direction just after a Dark Ring shattered off the wrist of a Veggiemon. On one of the castle towers, there stood a human sniper with spiky brown hair. The very fact that he was human ruled out the thought that it was one of the Commandramon soldiers. So who was this person?

"Lightning Blade!"

An Andromon suddenly ran out from behind her, halting right before the enemy advances. Swinging his arm module left and right, a blade of energy sliced through Chains, Rings, and Gears. With the possessed Digimon covered, Sayo focused her shots on the Voidlings.

"Demon's Crystal!"

A scream pierced through the air and a twin-sided pickaxe dropped with a clang to the ground behind Sayo's feet. The Tamer recognized that this weapon belonged to her partner and looked up to the sky, eyes wide in horror upon what she saw.

Dianamon was restrained by a dark, smoky, serpentine spirit that seemed to be strangling the Olympian's entire body. Completely immobile, it was impossible to escape Ophanimon's next move as the harbinger of death raised her scythe over head. With what could only be described as a war cry, the blade was brought down.

Without hesitating, Sayo raised her crossbow and fired. The arrow pierced through the air and cleanly shot through Ophanimon's wing causing the fake Digimon to lose concentration. The attack was delayed and Dianamon broke free from the evil apparition though she was too fatigued to move. Thankfully, she had another savior.

"Phoebus Blow!"

Ophanimon was punched across the face and flung across the sky. She crashed into the castle wall, sending dust falling down onto the heads of the onlookers.

"Ugh…," Dianamon groaned, falling into Apollomon's arms. "How pathetic of me… one of the Olympus XII… to be reduced to this state by a fake Digimon."

Apollomon shook his head. "Your abilities are just a bad match against her. The same could be said about Venusmon. Against me or any other member of the Olympus XII, we would fall at your feet because of your skills."

"Apollomon!" Sayo shouted from down below. "Ophanimon's not down yet!"

The God spun around and caught the blade of the flaming scythe in between in his palms. Being a fire attribute, he wasn't affected by the flames. But he was a dual attribute Digimon, and the light element in him was starting to break down from the miasma-like darkness that the weapon exuded.

Dianamon pushed herself away from her comrade. "Let me pay you back for what you've done to me!" Reeling back, she delivered a punch to Ophanimon's face that made a resounding crack that hung in the air for everyone to stare at in shock.

"Whoa," said Koh, who had finally made it onto the scene. "Dianamon… isn't a physical fighting Digimon. Since when did she have that much power?"

Sayo shrugged. "I guess a God isn't a God for show. But… it's still nothing compared to Apollomon."

Apollomon was the only one who wasn't stunned by that show of strength. Granted, he's known the female Digimon for a couple of millennia at this point. So without pausing to clean his hands from the darkness tainting them, he formed a golden arrow while the goddess created a silver one.

"It's been a while since I saw this combo attack," Koh grinned.

"Eclipse Arrow!"

Both their arrows spiralled around each other as they were shot forward, creating a single, powerful projectile that seemed to rocket through the air. It moved so fast that you'd miss it even if you weren't blinking. In a split second, it shot right through Ophanimon's stomach, creating a crack that expanded outwards as the arrow disappeared with a bright flash.

"Never underestimate the Gods," the Olympians stated in unison as their foe crumbled before them.

Once they had fully ascertained that they had defeated the worst of the bunch, they focused their attention back onto the advancing troops. Now that Sayo thought about it, she remembered that one of the Chosen Children had an Andromon for a partner. Glancing back up at the stranger on the tower, the pieces were starting to come together.

After what felt like hours, things finally settled down. The state of the castle was in shambles and each of their digivices were emitting static as various voices called out to each other. Finally, one of them said to meet the Celestial Trio in the bunker with the rest of the evacuated citizens.

"We should head over there," said Koh.

Sunmon was trying to fall asleep in his partner's arms. "Eh? But I can't walk anymore… I can't even feel my legs."

"You don't have legs," Moonmon bemoaned from Sayo's arms.

The humans were seated side by side, backs against the crumbling remains of a wall. The Digimon they had freed were trying to tend to each other's wounds. A few were mourning the deaths of their lost brethren that had been taken from the initial air raid. Speaking of which, it seems as though the CITY chiefs along with their partners had taken out the Airdramon, Megadramon, and Gigadramon from above.

The sniper made his way down to the others. Andromon had degenerated to BlackToyAgumon so Sayo knew that her theory was correct now. The boy was in a thick overcoat and a white scarf was wrapped around his mouth, the firearm slung around his shoulder.

"You're Kazu Shioda, aren't you," Sayo stated.

The boy didn't say anything at first. But then he removed the scarf and let it fall onto the shoulders of his partner. "Yeah, that's me," the boy replied. He put his hands on his hips and started examining his surroundings for a bit. His eyes fell upon two figures in the distance, both of them cradling something in their arms. "Henry… Rika…"

Koh glanced over the wall, noticing two drooping figures getting closer and closer in the slowest way possible. "Looks like they had a bad time."

"You're part of their original team, right?" Sayo remarked, glancing over to the newcomer. "You should probably go down to cheer them up or something."

Kazu shook his head. "I'm not good at that type of thing." He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and pivoted around on his heel, heading back inside. "That being said, I don't plan on leaving them alone. I'll let them know… that I'm here if they need me."

-X-

 **Our heroes are fighting battle after battle and it seems like some aren't able to win theirs. Henry and Rika have both fallen into pits of despair due to their losses. Ryo and Suzie are still under the evil control of the Demon Lords. But it would appear that one Tamer has returned to the rest of the group. However, while things have gone relatively well for JP, Koh, and Sayo, what about the other Chosen Children? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **Honestly, not my best fight scenes. I mean, I suppose they could be worse. But then again, they could also be better. They can always be better.**

 **Also, I haven't been feeling so great. Aside from the constant mortal peril that my paranoia has filled me with, I recently got some bad news that is too personal to share. On the other hand, I am currently working on my novel which has been stalled for the last two years. It's actually going pretty well. But this means I might not update as frequently as some of you would like. So bear with me. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review.**


	33. Gods and Legends

**Matt** : We've got a guest review asking a question today. "In chapter 27 what did Knightmon mean by "What about the baths" Cause I can see Shoutmon in a bathtub with a rubber ducky. Does that mean digimon take baths too like humans?"

 **Kiriha** : You people should really pay attention to the context.

 **Sora** : Don't be rude!

 **Taiki** : Well, in the context in which Knightmon said that, we were talking about closing down large sources of water to prevent the Dark Ocean denizens from taking Kari since that seems to be their way of moving between worlds. Furthermore, in chapter 26, Zero writes that we're all herded into the baths which are big enough to fit the whole town.

 **Shoutmon** : Exactly! It's part of our community's bareskin bonding ritual! It strengthens our bonds and cleans our souls. *Under his breath* And our bodies of course.

 **Lalamon** : Speaking of which, what did the commenter mean by their actual question? Of course we take baths!

 **Kouichi** : Even wild animals in the human world take baths. For example, gorillas pride themselves in their cleanliness. Some birds also like to dust themselves into keep clean. It's just that they can't get as clean as humanly possible because they can't reach those hard to get spots and don't have showers.

 **Renamon** : On the other hand, us Digimon do have the capability to build showers and baths.

 **Kenta** : Like Jijimon and Babamon did!

 **Rika** : Ugh, I can still hear your atrocious singing.

 **Zero** **Unit** : Well, there you go. Digimon take hygiene very seriously.

 **Veemon** : I take hygiene more seriously than Davis. He didn't even brush his teeth today!

 **Davis** : I did so!

 **Veemon** : You calling me a liar?

 **Davis** : Well I ain't calling you a truther!

 **Jeri** : *Stands in front of their fighting as it becomes physical* Please enjoy today's chapter.

 **Zero Unit** : Hold on, that joke isn't trademarked by Nickelodeon, is it?

-X-

 **January 24: Kingdom Town, Basement Laboratory — 10:55 PM**

Shaytan put its full weight into the lab, crushing everything underneath it. Their research, their tools, their technology, and their blueprints were all flattened. They were all scraps to begin with. But it was a sign of their hard work. The number of scientists that had slaved away day after day trying to reach their unified goal. They didn't need those scraps.

But Wisemon couldn't bear to see them thrown out.

The hooded Digimon opened up the Book and mechanical arms flew out from the pages. They had claws, buzz saws, and drills at the end that all striked at Shaytan's black body.

The demon let out a roar before raising a claw and destroying the mechanisms in a single swipe. It then opened its maw and a wave of black energy exploded forth. The blast radius narrowed as it got closer, getting sucked into one of Wisemon's orbs.

"Let me tell you something," said Wisemon. "I may be the strategist and the inventor of Taiki's army, but that doesn't mean I can't fight!"

Shaytan let out an ugly cry as if to say, "Then show me!"

Wisemon raised the orb that held the beast's attack. "This rage that you've sent me. Allow me to send it back tenfold! Pandora Dialogue!"

Shaytan covered the distance between them in less than a second, attempting to devour the smaller creature. But as the rows of razor-sharp teeth showed and the long, slimy tongue whipped out, a burst of energy traveled from the orb. In no time, Shaytan was disintegrated to dust.

Even though this battle was easy for Wisemon, he knew that it wouldn't be true for the others. But he also knew that his priority was saving all of the research. It's what Anubismon was here for most likely. So as the battle raged on behind him, he sucked up their progress into the Book.

 **Digital** **Analyzer** : The Anubismon carry on the role of the Digital World's judges. They inhabit the Underworld, ultimately passing down verdicts on dead Digimon. If the Digimon's core data is evil, they will be promptly banished into a realm of eternal darkness. But if they are good, then Anubismon can automatically reset their data to that of a Digi-Egg. These fallen angels are said to monitor the deaths and rebirths of every denizen in the Digital World.

Yolei looked back up at the battle with a little grimace. "What a job description."

"Pyramid Power!"

Rhihimon raised his staff and a dense ball of black energy appeared in the center. As four rays of golden light were shot towards him, they were blocked by the explosive dark blast. The other two, Silphymon and JewelBeemon, used the ensuing smoke as their cover and with their superior speed, flanked their enemy from either side.

"Static Force!"

"Spike Buster!"

Anubismon's fingertip glowed brightly as she drew a square in the air. It fell to her feet and the four corners moved upwards, encasing her inside a pyramid. The ball of energy and generated shockwave bounced off of the slanted walls, changing their trajectory and letting them hit the ceiling. Chunks from above fell down towards the two Ultimates.

Silphymon caught the debris in his claws while JewelBeemon slashed through with his spear. But as soon as they were safe from the falling infrastructure, they saw the pyramid expand outwards at a rapid rate. The walls smashed into them and all of a sudden, they were flung backwards.

Rhihimon was the only one who was able to break through the wall, shattering the pyramid in the process. Once that was done, the eyes of the lion on his mask shined. "Rot Kreuz!" Crimson beams shot out from them but Anubismon deflected them with a simple flick of her wrist. Although she wasn't able to defend from the Warrior of Darkness soaring right for her and colliding with her body, pushing her all the way to the far wall.

"Impudent mongrel!" Anubismon snapped. A pyramid appeared in her palm and she slammed it into Rhihimon's chest. In a sudden burst, he was sent sliding across the floor.

"She's pretty strong," Silphymon admitted.

"But we won't lose," JewelBeemon huffed.

Ken and Yolei had to steer clear of the destruction as live wires came down on them from all sides, like the tentacles of an octopus looking for prey. There was also rubble falling from overhead and broken glass littering the ground. The escape route caved in as well during the fight so they couldn't hide out there either. Not that they would leave their partners behind.

Anubismon created two more pyramids that stretched and elongated, becoming jousting lances. She then raised them to block JewelBeemon's oncoming spear.

Silphymon flew in from behind, building up white-hot energy in his core before releasing it all at once. "Static Force!"

The winged canine slammed the hilt of one of her weapons into the humanoid insect's stomach, causing him to double over. She then whispered an enchantment and a square appeared at their feet. It rotated one-eighty degrees, switching their places and JewelBeemon was suddenly hit with his own ally's attack.

Anubismon tossed him aside before drawing a triangular pyramid. It broke apart into its four individual sides and started spinning towards Silphymon. He had to dodge them in midair but they just coming back around, slicing into his skin and sending feathers falling everywhere until one of the blades cut right through his stomach. In that moment, he crash landed, returning to his Rookie form.

"Hawkmon!" Yolei called out.

Anubismon then directed the blades to finish the job. The spinning triangles were coming right for the immobile avian.

"Rot Kreuz!"

Two of the triangles shattered as the hybrid Warrior flew in to destroy the last ones with his spear. His next move was to charge up black energy at the end of his weapon. Releasing it all at once, the dense energy pulsed towards Anubismon.

"Hmph," she scoffed. "How pointless."

She put up another barrier but then the blast split off into several thinner beams. They went around the shield and struck Anubismon in the back. As she was caught off guard, this gave Rhihimon the chance to fly in for close-quarters combat. Although she was able to recover pretty quickly and parry the blow from his staff with her own weapons.

At close range, Rhihimon decided to bring out the big guns. "Black Theorem!"

The world seemed to tilt and everything became pitch black. Although this could only be seen between the two fighters.

"What?!" Anubismon gasped. "What is this?!"

Rhihimon bent his legs, pressing his feet up against his opponent before kicking off. The Warrior back flipped into the air, seeming to hover without the use of his wings. Then with a snap of his fingers, the blackness that surrounded them abruptly closed in around the enemy. She was suddenly wrapped up in what could only be described as a bodysuit.

The Legendary Warrior landed with a thud. "The darkest black… a void." He then pointed the end of his weapon at the struggling, floating lump. "The End!"

The figure that was Anubismon seemed get sucked into itself before their very eyes. With a sound of a whoosh, she seemed to vanish completely. But before anyone could sigh in relief, she reappeared behind Rhihimon. It was like she could fabricate her own way out of there just as easily as he could send her away.

"Behind…!" Hawkmon coughed.

"Look out!" Yolei cried out.

Anubismon created a triangle with her hands. "Pyramid Power!"

Rhihimon spun around, spreading out his palm and letting a black sheet trail behind as he made his own barrier to protect him from the attack. It wasn't as strong as his opponent's defensive abilities but it was enough to keep him from taking the whole brunt of the beams. Immediately afterwards, he launched a counterattack by firing a concentrated beam of dark energy from the end of his spear.

Anubismon drew a square in the air which caught the blast. Then she swiftly added triangles to each side that captured the energy inside a pyramid. Then, by swinging her arms forward, the ball of energy hit the Legendary Warrior in the chest, exploding on contact.

"JewelBeemon!" Ken called out. "Now!"

A golden flash appeared behind Anubismon. "Shot Claw!"

Anubismon slid out of the way of the spear, latching onto the polearm in between her arm and body to keep JewelBeemon still. The insect tried to punch his way out, using the claw attached for extra damage. But the canine Digimon was able to easily avoid getting slashed simply by moving her head to the side. Anubismon then pursed her lips and blew, creating a powerful wind that pushed her foe backwards.

"This is a very nice weapon," Anubismon grinned to herself, still holding JewelBeemon's spear. "It's quite a beautiful thing."

Rhihimon was still injured but he knew that he was the only one who could keep up with the enemy's strength at this point. So he readied his own polearm and charged forward. The pair exchanged blows as they sent sparks flying everywhere with each strike.

Wisemon finished packing up their things but he couldn't leave without the Chosen Children nor could he leave without helping them defeating the enemy. "At this point, she's come to understand these surroundings better and her speed is allowing her to move around this space with ease. We've wasted too much time."

"You mean we can't beat her now?" inquired Yolei.

The Book opened up to a spread of an image Anubismon fighting something. They couldn't really tell because the accompanying page was torn out. But there was at least a transcript of the battle written down below. It seemed that this fight had been between Anubismon and one of the original Chosen Children.

"I wonder why my memories are so faulty of that time," Anubismon remarked. "Well, if we can restrict either her senses or her movement, we can win."

"Paildramon!" Yolei and Ken said simultaneously.

"Glare gave you ExVeemon's data?" Wisemon blinked.

If they were lucky, they could use Cable Catcher to constrict Anubismon and that would make it a clear shot for Rhihimon to take her down. But of course, the question was whether or not she'd stand still long enough for this to work. Which was why they were going to need additional help. JewelBeemon fetched Hawkmon who was raring to go for another round before returning to Wormmon.

"We're ready!" the two Rookies nodded.

"DigiArmor Energize!" "Hawkmon Armor Digivolve to… Shurimon! The Samurai of Sincerity!"

"Wormmon Digivolve to… Stingmon! DNA Digivolve to…" The bug grew legs and stood up but to their surprise, he hunched over and four transparent wings sprouted out. Muscular, blue arms with large claws appeared on either side and compound eyes glinted on his face. "Dinobeemon!"

The Book flipped to another page. "It would appear that when Stingmon is the base for the fusion, they don't become Paildramon…"

"We see that!" Yolei snapped.

 **Digital** **Analyzer** : Dinobeemon is a chimera between a dragon and an insect. He soars through the skies using his four wings and with his powerful claws, he can tear through Chrome Digizoid with ease. His compound eyes allow him to keep track of enemy movements no matter how fast they are. And once he has their foe in his sights, he won't stop until he's choked the life out of them.

Shurimon looked over at the humans. "Does this mean the Cable Catcher method is out the window?"

"Actually," said Wisemon, "this might work in our favor."

Ken looked up from reading the encyclopedia entry on his D-3. "Agreed."

"Masquerade!"

Everyone saw the new Digimon take a single step. After that, it was like there were twenty of him, all sprinting forward. Some lagged behind while others worked side by side. One thing was the same for all of them, they were fast.

In the blink of an eye, Dinobeemon covered the distance between himself and the enemy. The hybrid Digimon got in between the two combatants, slashing at Anubismon before running off. The attack was easily evaded but the lapse was all that was needed for Rhihimon to use Rot Kreuz right in the canine's face.

In the meantime, Shurimon made a small twister around himself, turning into a bunch of leaves fluttering to the ground. He reappeared on the other side of the room, pulling two massive stars from his back. "Double Star!" They were sent whizzing through the air around the time Dinobeemon made his assault.

Anubismon was forced to move in a way that would keep her from being cut. Whether it be with the sharp projectiles or claws. But it put her in a place where her eyes were struck by the red beams of Rot Kreuz. She should've known it was coming. After all, when Dinobeemon passed by, he whispered to his comrade, "Eyes." It was a signal to Rhihimon for where to strike.

"I can't see!" Anubismon screeched.

Yolei jumped onto one of the tables before anyone could stop her. The stars were coming right for but she hooked her fingers into the holes in the centers, stopping them although they still yanked her arms in the opposite direction. Then with all the strength she could muster, she sent them flying back towards Anubismon.

The canine's ear twitched to the sound of the whizzing. She quickly swerved right in between the points. Not that Yolei was aiming to get a hit. She wasn't aiming at all.

"Irritant Buzz!"

The whizzing of the stars was immediately replaced with a supersonic buzzing, causing Anubismon to cover her ears and double over. The only people unaffected by this atrocious sound was those stuck inside a dark space made by Rhihimon. The energy around them began slowly gathering at the end of his spear which was pointed at their enemy's chest. Directly above her head was Dinobeemon, furiously flapping his wings, creating the sound..

"Whether it be your movements or your senses," said Ken. "So long as we can restrict one of those…"

"You're done for!" Rhihimon bellowed. "Darkness Bluster!"

Anubismon tried forming barriers but without her vision or hearing, she couldn't tell which direction the attack would come from. Even the whizzing from earlier, which had already passed right by her ears felt like they were still there. So with her back facing the black wave of energy, she was struck and eliminated, a Fractal Code floating where she was before.

"Alright!" Yolei cheered, pumping her arms and then wincing.

Shurimon appeared beside her. "Are you okay? Did I throw the shuriken too hard?"

"A little bit," chuckled Yolei. "But we pulled off that combination rather well for our first time in battle."

Rhihimon pulled out his D-Tector, taking the code. "Let the safety of the darkness return you to your true self! Fractal Code Digitize!"

As the Legendary Warrior dropped to the ground in his human form, he could see Ken and Hawkmon fussing over Yolei. The pair were trying to make sure that the girl hadn't dislocated her shoulders in the process of throwing those enormous and extremely heavy projectiles. At some point, Wisemon got in between the two males, pushing them away and pulling out a magnifying glass to inspect her.

"I'm fine!" Yolei huffed, finally getting away from them.

"She is," said Kouichi. "I can sense it." The others seemed to take his word for it. Then with a chuckle, he added, "Your shoulders will probably be sore in the morning though."

 **January 24: Kingdom Town, Courtyard — 10:55 PM**

The entire west wing exploded as the Olympian, Merukimon leapt out, quickly followed by a number of partnered Digimon. Outside, there was a lot more room for them to move around. But there were also a lot more enemies. Hundreds of enslaved townsfolk were slumping into the castle.

Monitamon's voice traveled out from Nene's X-Loader. "We'll handle the small fry!"

"Right," Butterflymon agreed, "leave it to us!"

The General nodded before releasing every other member in her X-Loader. They went right for the brainwashing devices with the help of the royal guard, led by Knightmon. In the meantime, the rest of them had a much larger fish to fry.

Shakkoumon and RaptorSparrowmon tried the pincer tactic on Merukimon, firing laser beams in an attempt to strike him down. But with unparalleled speed, the warrior deflected each and every single one of them with his knife. Then, with a spin, he generated a strong enough wind that blew his opponents away. They ended up crashing into ground.

"What's with that?" Shakkoumon huffed.

"He's strong," RaptorSparrowmon grunted. "And he didn't even hit us directly."

Inside the building, the three humans were forced to duck down in the hall in order to avoid getting crushed by the rubble. Sealsdramon reacted quickly, using his own incredible speed to gather them up and cover them, shielding them with his body. Looking out of the hole, they could see that their other partners were having trouble.

"Scouter Monoeye!"

The armored soldier tried to find a weak point but either Merukimon moved too fast or there weren't any to be detected. There was also the possibility that the disparity between their power levels was just too great. Any of these possibilities were troubling in and of itself.

RaptorSparrowmon upped her speed, trying to reach the Olympian's level. "Laser Razor!" Her wings shined as she swirled around their enemy, letting her sharp feathers dig into Merukimon's skin. That had been her intention at the very least. But somehow, Merukimon was able to counter each slash with his knife and without moving any other part of his body. He was able to keep up easily.

Shakkoumon got back up, deciding this was his chance. "Justice Beam!"

The timing was much too convenient for Merukimon. "Thousand Fists!" In the blink of an eye, he was gone and the clay doll's eye beams struck RaptorSparrowmon, sending her crash landing. Then, he was standing right in front of Shakkoumon, landing blow after blow against the DNA digivolved monster. Cracks were even beginning to form in various areas of his body.

"Shakkoumon!" Cody yelled.

"Tch, no choice," Sealsdramon grumbled. "Death—!"

Shinya grabbed his partner's hand. "Wait!"

Cody and Nene, who stood to either side of the duo, knew what this was about. Merukimon showed power beyond anything they'd ever fought before. At least, on their own. Some of their tougher challenges such as Armageddemon at least involved even stronger Chosen being by their side. This time, they were up against a member of the Olympos XII with someone who was still new to being a DigiDestined.

"Shinya…," said Sealsdramon. "I can't let the others fight on their own."

Merukimon finished his onslaught just in time to see the mechanical avian recover from the previous attack. She charged at him, talons-first. But he absorbed the attack in his palm before closing his hand around the bird, slowly crushing her.

Nene took a step forward, eyes wide. "RaptorSparrowmon!"

"But if you go out there at this point…," Shinya gulped. Last time, he had Tommy by his side and their enemy was already weakened. But this time…

Sealsdramon had to admit that he didn't like his odds either. "I know the circumstances are vastly different but… I'm a soldier of the United Xros Heart Army! I can't let fear or low odds be the reason why I don't fight."

The small, circular port slid open on Shakkoumon's pelvis, releasing a bunch of explosive discs. "Kachina… Bombs…" He was still in a lot of pain though.

Merukimon spun his knife around in his free hand. In a single movement, he slashed through his captive's body, returning her to her original form and generated a wind that sent the bombs flying backward. Shakkoumon was pelted repeatedly before tumbling down as Upamon.

"They were defeated just like that?" Cody gasped.

"Not good," Nene muttered, raising her X-Loader.

The Olympian was ready to finish them off when Sparrowmon returned to the safety of the digivice. So he set his sights on taking down Upamon when a blur of a figure moved into his field of vision. Twirling a knife between his fingers, the new combatant made to stab the God in the eye. But Merukimon swatted him away like an irritating fly.

"Sealsdramon!" Shinya yelled.

"Did you really think any of you could defeat me?!" Merukimon roared. "I am Hermes! A proud member of the Olympos XII!"

"How did Keenan beat this guy?" Nene grimaced.

"He went easy," muttered Cody. "That guy got caught on purpose so that he could lead the Demon Lords right to us."

Merukimon seemed to be taking his time trying to figure out which one of his opponents he should destroy first. He finally decided on the closest one. That being Commandramon who tried to shoot at the giant with his firearm but the bullets did nothing more than bounce off. The pieces of metal dropped to the ground with tiny, almost inaudible clinks.

"No!" Shinya screamed, racing across the courtyard. "Stay away from—!"

Merukimon brandished his blade before preparing to impale the Rookie's entire torso with it. As he swung downwards, two figures dashed right past Shinya. They screeched to a stop directly underneath the knife and each pulled out a sword that was about the same size as their individual heights. Crossing them together, they were able to stop the weapon from cutting into Commandramon.

Nene recognized them immediately. "Mervamon! Minervamon!"

The Goddesses pushed back against the giant, actually throwing him off balance. They then leapt into the air and in perfect sync, they slammed their feet into Merukimon's chest. Twenty kicks were made in rapid succession, pushing the God backwards until he crashed into the opposite wing.

Minervamon stuck out her tongue. "I always wanted to see who was the stronger one between us."

"Nene!" Mervamon called out, seeing her partner running over. "You need to stay back!"

The General paused mid-step. In the corner of her eye, she could see Cody running to retrieve his partner. In the meantime, Merukimon was already recovering from the repetitive impacts he took so Nene turned tail and fled back to safety. She could always have a reunion with Mervamon later. More importantly, she raced over to Commandramon and carried him back.

Shinya quickly went over to the soldier's side. "Commandramon, are you okay?"

"I've had better days," he replied.

Merukimon took a deep breath and the world seemed to pause, awaiting his next move with baited breath. He held his knife, Aztec, close to his chest before moving at top speed.

The two women quickly raised their swords over their head, clashing against their foe's blade. They stood side by side, covering for each other. The only reason they could even keep up with his speed was simply due to the fact that it was two against one. Even then, they were the ones being backed into a corner.

"Let's go wild!" Minervamon shouted.

Mervamon smirked. "You read my mind!"

"Madness Merry-Go-Round!

Merukimon avoided the slashes by leaping into the sky, right over their heads. Their blades sliced through the air as he landed behind them, sending a tremor through the ground. Immediately afterwards, the God made a small cut in the palm of his hand, then slamming it down, a magic circle appeared.

"Spiritual Enchant!"

Ghostly figures began rising from the ground. The moment they took a more tangible form, they started running towards the Goddesses.

"Ugh, I hate these things," Minervamon groaned. "Dominion Blade!" With a single swing, she decimated a portion of the apparitions. But not a second later, they reappeared and the Olympian was forced into defensive maneuvers.

Mervamon ducked under a kick from an apparition. "I can see why. Leave them to me! Night Stalker!"

Medulla, Mervamon's serpentine arm, extended outwards, jaw open. It bit down on one of the ghosts and surprisingly, it didn't return. The snake continued, slithering across the battlefield and swallowing more and more of the summonings whole. Since they were nothing more than apparitions, there was always room in the snake for one more.

The other woman nodded before sprinting forward. She meandered through the army of phantoms with grace, screeching to a stop at Merukimon's feet. She raised her circular shield to block the end of Aztec before smashing her own blade, Olympia, into the ground.

"Strike Roll!"

A fissure formed in the earth, causing Merukimon to lose his balance once again. This allowed the Goddess a chance to throw the opposing weapon out of her face. Shooting into the sky from where she stood, she raised her leg above her head, performing a powerful axe kick on Merukimon's head. The sound of the impact traveled throughout the courtyard as Merukimon fell forwards and dropped into the abyss.

The Goddesses quickly returned to each other's side, raising their swords above their heads. "Madness Merry-Go-Round!"

Their blades were stopped with just three fingers. Merukimon rose from the crevice after flicking his wrist, flinging their weapons out of their grasps and across the courtyard. Once he was out of the hole, he held each one of his foes in a hand, crushing their comparatively diminutive bodies.

"I will not be bested by two half-baked Olympians!" Merukimon snarled.

"Half-baked?!" Mervamon snapped.

"We'll show you who's half-baked!" Minervamon growled, before addressing the group of humans. "Girl, Xros us!"

There was a moment of confusion before Nene realized what she meant. "Eh? Oh, uh, Minervamon!" She was planning on using her actual partner as the base but in her rush to do what she was told, she misspoke. "Mervamon! Digi-Xros!"

Mervamon's data seemed to disperse before gathering around Minervamon. Unlike other fusions, there weren't any notable changes to the Digimon in general. But then the Goddess reopened her eyes, glaring at Merukimon, emitting a rather intimidating aura. With a shout, she began to slowly pry herself out of the giant's fingers. He tried to close his other hand around her but she'd already slipped out of his grasp by then.

Minervamon landed on the ground, tucked her body in and then tumbled her way underneath the enemy's legs. She threw her shield like a frisbee, letting it hit Merukimon in the back of the head, rendering him unable to turn around to face her. Once she grabbed onto both swords, they fused into one.

"Madness Merry-Go-Round!"

In a wild swing, the backs of Merukimon's legs were suddenly sliced open. He fell to his knees, knuckles popping and teeth bared, as he tried to resist crying out in pain.

"Insolent insect!" Merukimon roared. "I'll make you pay for that!"

Minervamon grinned before surrounding herself in a data cocoon. "Slide Evolution!" She reappeared as Mervamon. "You'll have to hit me first!"

Suddenly, Merukimon whispered an enchantment under his breath and the remaining apparitions gathered around his wounds. They melded into his skin, repairing the broken data until it was good as new. He then rolled forward, using the momentum to get back onto his feet and putting some distance between himself and the enemy.

"She's at full power now," said Cody.

"A battle between the Gods," Upamon huffed. "This won't end well for the castle."

Mervamon charged forward, raising Medulla. "Trying to run? Love Poison!"

Merukimon swung his knife, using the flat side to create a wind that immediately blew away with the poisonous mist. He then lowered the blade to protect his kneecaps from being cut. The pair exchanged blows, whether it came from fists or blades. Each moment of contact seemed to cause another window to shatter or brick to come loose and fall as they circled each other in the courtyard.

"This match will end in a stalemate at this rate," Nene remarked.

Commandramon pushed himself away from Shinya. "Then we need to find a weak point. Shinya… evolve me again."

"There's no point," Cody argued before Shinya could. "Your skill level even as a Champion is too low to find a vital point in Merukimon."

"But Mervamon isn't," Commandramon retorted.

"That's right!" Nene gasped. "If you fuse with her, she'll be able use the Monoeye herself! But…" She looked over at their youngest member. "I'll only do it with your permission."

With the arrival of the Goddess, their chances of victory skyrocketed. But Shinya knew that they needed an extra push to ensure that. Still, seeing how easily everyone was being tossed around earlier had instilled an intense feeling of fear in the boy's chest. He opened his mouth to give his approval but nothing came out except for a pitiful sounding croak.

"Shinya," said Commandramon. "I know we've been partners for a short time and I know you're scared right now, but I told you before… I am too."

The boy remembered the conversation they had on Miracle Sea. About how Commandramon feared for his life every time he entered battle despite not showing it. It was okay to be scared. But to let it take control was where you had to draw the line.

"Yeah," Shinya nodded. "Nene… Let's do this."

Nene nodded. "Ready when you are."

"Digi-Modify: Digivolution Activate!" "Commandramon Digivolve to… Sealsdramon!"

"Mervamon! Sealsdramon! Digi-Xros!"

The Goddess didn't even pause for a millisecond in her movements as new gear attached to her body. The most important aspect being the scouter that appeared over her eye. It scanned the enemy as she swung her blade around but it couldn't lock on while Merukimon was moving so fast.

"Tch," Mervamon scoffed.

That second of irritation was a mistake on her part. She received a deep cut in her side so she quickly ran backwards, putting distance between them. Medulla bit down on the general area of the wound, slowly sewing it closed.

"Cards," Cody remembered. "Shinya, you're a Tamer, right? That means there must be a card to increase accuracy!"

Shinya quickly pulled out his deck but as he fumbled through the cards, he accidentally dropped them, scattering them at their feet. But all three humans began rifling through them in search of anything that could be of use to them. It wasn't long before Shinya found exactly what they needed.

"Digi-Modify! Wide Scope Activate!"

Without doing anything, Mervamon saw that everything in the scouter seemed to expand. She was able to see all of Merukimon all at once. As she continued clashing with him, blade to blade, her eye began zeroing in on various body parts, trying to pinpoint a weak point. Anything. It could be moving slower than the rest of his body or a scar from an old wound. Anything.

Then she found it.

"The lower right side of his torso!" Mervamon realized. In an instant, she covered herself in a cocoon. The abrupt light caused Merukimon to misstep as he made a rather wobbly slash. As Minervamon, she blocked the blade with her shield and then swung Olympia with all her might, cutting into the God's abdomen. It got wedged in there but with a war cry that echoed through the kingdom, she pulled it straight through, slicing him in two. "Madness Merry-Go-Round!"

"She did it!" the onlookers cheered.

The data didn't seem to break apart though. Instead, the fallen God turned pitch black and a data ring appeared around him. At this point, everyone knew what that meant but without the presence of a Legendary Warrior, they couldn't do anything about it.

"If the data isn't purified, won't Merukimon just come back as our enemy again?" Cody muttered.

Just then, Beetlemon flew into the courtyard, D-Tector at the ready. "Sorry I'm late. But it looks like I'm just in time to do this at least. Fractal Code Digitize!"

The God was left in the middle of the courtyard, eyes closed and body still. But the rise and fall of his muscular chest was a sign that he was alive at least. In the meantime, the group convened to protect what was left of the stronghold. Once things seemed to settle down, Merukimon had woken up and he seemed to be back to his original state, if a little depressed.

"You know that little wall of yours gave us some trouble," said Minervamon. "It could've been used by the Demon Lords to track us down."

Merukimon grimaced. "My apologies. But my job as messenger requires me to know your locations at all times in case."

"But not all of us were on that wall," Mervamon remarked. "Demeter, I noticed, wasn't there at all."

Unfortunately, Merukimon wouldn't know this. His previous life ended prior to the convergence of the multiple Digital Worlds. So if any of the Olympians were on any of the other worlds, then they wouldn't have appeared on the wall. Although it was rather strange. Now that all the worlds were together, that meant all the Olympians should be there now. So why was one missing?

Nene didn't quite understand what they were talking about, she was just grateful to see that her partner had returned. "Mervamon, I'm glad you showed when you did but… why? More specifically, why is Minervamon with you?"

"Oh, that," said Minervamon, coming forward. "On our little journey, I was persuaded to give human beings a chance." She then looked up at Merukimon. "So you kind of have that boy to thank for me even showing up. What was his name? Keenan. You… did quite a job raising him. The way he talks about unity among people… reminded me a lot of you."

"Keenan…," said Merukimon. "Does that mean… he's here with you?"

Minervamon nodded. "I'm sure you'll want to see him."

Cody had a question of his own although he wasn't sure if it was appropriate to bring up now. Still, his curiosity had gotten the better of him. "Merukimon, forgive me if I'm overstepping my bounds," he said, "but why was _that_ your weak point?"

Merukimon touched his wound. "This… was where a Gizumon hit me in my past life…"

Everyone went stiff, reminded of how he had been killed in the first place. It had been an extremely traumatic experience for Keenan.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up," said Cody. He knew what it was like to be stuck on something terrible from the past. "It's painful…"

 **January 24: Kingdom Town, Town Market — 10:55 PM**

Eleven Ultimates appeared from all sides attempting to ambush the Chosen Children. But they hadn't expected on facing someone with extraordinary hearing so they were found out mere moments before attacking. Now that the element of surprise was no longer a factor, the DigiDestined were able to stand on somewhat equal footing.

"Digi Ninpou: Furoshiki Wrapping!"

Tsuwamon produced a cloth sack and captured Makuramon. But not even a fraction of a second later, the Treasure Ball tore through the fabric, freeing the Monkey Deva. Slithering in from the other side was the Snake Deva, Sandiramon, who wrapped himself around Tsuwamon.

Makuramon smirked. "Did you really think you stood a chance against the Deva? Primal Orb!"

The bipedal Digimon pitched his weapon but he was still able to control it remotely. It charged right for the ninja but as it would turn out Tsuwamon had been long gone since the beginning. It was actually a balloon dummy in his place. So the orb ended up popping it and impacting Sandiramon right underneath his jaw, knocking him out almost instantly.

Yuu felt a smug grin forming on his face. "You shouldn't underestimate my partner."

Makuramon quickly tried to create another orb but his body was suddenly constricted in an electrified web. Lightning coursed through his data while Tsuwamon reappeared behind Sandiramon. Doing quick work with his sickles, he minced the entire length of the snake, slicing him into several pieces.

"Mantis Dance!"

Without stopping, Tsuwamon quickly cut the simian in half. In just that one instant, both Deva were Hunted.

Back with Sakkakumon, Takuya explained that the majority of the Digimon inside of the orbs were fake. They were simply reflections made from data that the corrupted Legendary Warrior had collected over time. That was why Yuu was unable to Hunt any of them. So that meant he should be able to now.

"They're victims," said Yuu, looking down at his X-Loader. "We can't let them be destroyed so easily."

Nearby, SuperStarmon was dancing around the axes and bolts coming his way. It was beginning to seriously get on the nerves of Vajramon and Pajiramon. Which meant the golden Ultimate was having even more fun to mess around with them. But that didn't mean he wasn't taking this fight seriously as he dropped little light from the inside of the gloves.

"We've got you now," Vajramon growled from one side.

"You can't escape," Pajiramon added from the other.

SuperStarmon looked left and right, seeing that it would certainly be difficult to get out of his current predicament. But with a chuckle and a snap of his fingers, the world darkened around them. The Ox and Ram Deva paused before noticing that they were the ones surrounded by hundreds upon hundreds of stars, the lights dropped by the star. In the blink of an eye, they were pelted repeatedly until they were Hunted.

"Four down," SuperStarmon chuckled. "The Deva aren't what they're hyped up to be, are they?"

"Rook Gatling!"

"Dino Burst!"

With a loud squawk, Sinduramon the Rooster Deva was also defeated, bursting into flames due to the combined might of RookChessmon and Allomon. Yuu had to admit that this was feeling easier than he had expected as well. Granted his partners were stronger than most but the same could be said about the Deva. So why did they all seem to be pushovers?

The wicked laugh of SkullGreymon yanked the Hunter out of his thoughts. He looked up to see his more psychotic partner plucking Catsuramon and Mihiramon from the ground. They both tried to escape his bony grasp but the look he gave them seemed to make them freeze up in fear. He then proceeded to throw them at Majiramon who had made an attempt to rescue his comrades. Not a second later, while all three were clustered together in the sky, SkullGreymon released the missile on his back.

"Dark Shot!"

It whistled through the air and exploded on impact, effectively finishing off the Dog, Tiger, and Dragon Deva. Although it seemed like SkullGreymon was hungry for more as he quickly set his sights on his own allies. Yuu had to return the undead Digimon back to his X-Loader before someone else got seriously hurt.

In the meantime, Kazemon was keeping busy with the remaining Deva. Vikaralamon was the main issue as he was rampaging through the town, chasing after her. Riding on top of the behemoth was the miniscule Kumbhiramon. And appearing with a small gust of wind in front was Indramon, cutting off the Legendary Warrior of Wind's escape route.

"Great," Kazemon grumbled. "I get stuck with two of the strongest."

Indramon reached for the conch on his back and swung it like a club. Kazemon quickly looped around the melee weapon to avoid being crushed. Almost as soon as she thought she was safe, she heard six high-pitched voices announcing that they were going to claw into her while she was distracted.

"Treasure Pestle!"

Without even turning around, Kazemon produced a powerful wind to circulate her entire body. As each Rat Deva clone entered the wind stream, they were blown around her body. They continued on this path, crashing right into the Horse Deva's face.

"Get off of me!" Indramon bellowed.

"Hey, it's not our fault!" Kumbhiramon squeaked. "You're a big target!"

An ear-splitting squeal caught Kazemon's attention as she spun around to see Vikaralamon opening up his maw. "Treasure Wheel!" This was perfect.

Black goop was spit out from his mouth as Kazemon quickly slide evolved into Zephyrmon. With a much greater control of her element, she was able to make a downcurrent that redirected the slime so that it fell around Indramon's weapon. The equine's weapon was soon stuck in the substance, unable to pick it back up.

"You idiot!" Indramon shouted.

"Don't worry, we got this!" Kumbhiramon squeaked, leaping off once more.

Zephyrmon, of course, took advantage of this by once more blowing them forward and avoiding them completely. They ended up falling into the Pig Deva's fur, getting themselves entangled. Though small, their claws were digging into the giant's skin so he was starting to shake violently, squealing in pain.

"Tch," Indramon uttered before vanishing into thin air. Only his voice hung around. "Do you really think you can defeat us, puny Warrior?"

Zephyrmon could hear it. The faint wind that the Horse Deva produced whenever he came and went. So it was easy for her to detect the spot he would appear next before he even did so. Simply by flying left, she was able to avoid getting hit with his swinging hoof. Then, soaring all the way to the back of Indramon's head, she lit up her claws with red energy.

"Plasma Paws!"

Indramon toppled like an unstable tower, falling on top of Vikaralamon who squealed again in pain. As for the Rat Deva who ended up getting caught in between and crushed, he became nothing more than a silhouette and a Fractal Code. But of course, Zephyrmon wasn't done yet as she produced a strong enough gale to force the Treasure Wheel on top of the two Ultimates, sticking them together in the slime.

"Bested by a tiny fairy?!" Indramon grunted. "This is by far the most embarrassing fight I've ever partaken in!"

Zephyrmon stood on the corner of a rooftop. "In your defense, you were tripping all over each other. Hurricane Gale!"

Zoey quickly reunited with the younger humans with her forehead creased and eyes narrowed. At this rate, she was going to wrinkle prematurely. Of course, that was the least of her worries. When she got back, she saw that Ai and Mako were still insisting on trying to find Impmon.

"Zoey," Yuu whined. "Help me out here."

Zoey pinched the bridge of her nose to think about it. "It should be fine if you stay with them. But before that I need to ask you something."

"Hm?"

"Did you Hunt the Deva?"

Before the boy could answer, SuperStarmon piped up, "They're not in here… even though we Hunted all of them to…"

"Eh?" Yuu blinked. "But… that doesn't make sense!"

Zoey figured this would be the case. Right after nabbing the three Fractal Codes, the rest of their data completely vanished. Her theory was that since they were deleted by the Demon Lords, they couldn't be reconfigured anymore. Not unless they were something special like a member of the Olympos XII who only needed the belief of others to stay alive.

Once she voiced this out to them, they ended up separating. The young trio going off in search of Impmon and the teenaged girl thinking about what her next move should be. The Legendary Warrior faced the sky, seeing the CITY Chiefs battle it out with the air raids.

"I should help out," said Zoey. She threw her D-Tector into the air and caught it after spinning around to look at Kuzuhamon. "But I suppose I should take care of you first."

The sorceress knew that the human girl would detect her right away. After all, she didn't exactly shroud her presence. Even if she did, her breathing and the slight jingling of her staff would've given her away anyway. Although she had no idea just how much sound was being blocked out by Zoey's headphones.

"You will be my Akumako," Kuzuhamon stated.

"Huh?" Zoey blanched. Somehow, she knew it was another word for partner. Except not as nice a term. "Where is this coming from?"

"I was defeated because my enemy had a human with her," Kuzuhamon explained. "And the two strongest Demon Lords are part human as well."

Now that Zoey thought about it, in the origin stories she heard, both Lucemon and Daemon were comprised of a Digimon and a human. Those humans being Hikaru and Kurogane, the very first to come into contact with the Digital World. So that meant the tale was true. Somehow that just made the reality so much more terrifying.

"So? Why me?" asked Zoey.

The moment Kuzuhamon decided she needed a human partner, she began looking over the Chosen Children one by one to see who would be the best candidate for the position. The Legendary Warriors already proved that they were capable in combat so she knew it had to be one of them. After much deliberation, she finally settled on Zoey.

"Your fighting style is closest to mine," Kuzuhamon explained. "I think we will be a combination that truly enhances each other's skills and abilities."

"Don't the Demon Lords hate human-Digimon relationships?"

"They hate when the humans are always in control."

Zoey didn't exactly feel like going into another spiel about how that wasn't the case when it came to partnerships. Humans and Digimon can share a symbiotic relationship if they actually tried to see one another as equals. But if someone wasn't able to understand that, then Zoey would just have to show them herself.

A data ring burst around the human's hand. "Sorry, I'm flattered but I've already got a partner."

"Then I will just have to make you my Akumako," Kuzuhamon stated coolly.

Even with the noise-cancelling headphones, Zoey could hear the destruction that was going on from all sides. She didn't like the fact that she couldn't help out the others. Especially when it didn't seem like Kuzuhamon was planning on adding to the wreckage. But at the same time, she couldn't just ignore an enemy standing right in front of her.

"Execute Spirit Evolution… Kazemon!"

-X-

 **One by one, each showdown is coming to a grand conclusion. But the aftermath is still going to be ugly and it even seems like new battles are starting up as well. It's a showdown between Zoey and Kuzuhamon. For the human, she's never had to take on a Mega level Digimon by herself. Will she succeed or will this be the place she falls? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **I know the wait for this chapter was just a little bit longer than usual. This is because I wrote and finished the chapter that was originally going to be in this place two weeks ago but hated it. I'm still going to use it but the content felt too early to be placed here. Thus, I decided to save it for later and hash out this new chapter for you guys! Now, I hope you all enjoyed and please leave a review down below!**

 **P.S. During JewelBeemon's debut chapter back in Present, someone remarked that that wasn't supposed to be his Ultimate form. Well, now you know that there was a reason why I didn't choose DinoBeemon as the Ultimate form. Every evolution line I select takes serious deliberation so do not doubt that I have a plan in my decisions.**


	34. Winds of Change

**Zero Unit** : So I want to apologize for an inconsistency in the last chapter. Yuu should not have been surprised as he was with being unable to Hunt the Deva because he actually discovers that he can't back in chapter 13. For the sake of continuity, I've edited the last chapter so that it includes a small section where it talks about Takuya mentioning that the Digimon in Sakakkumon were fake and that's why they couldn't be hunted.

 **Cody** : In your defense, that was twenty chapters ago. Which was, what? About a year and half ago?

 **Suzie** : Yeah, I'm surprised a reader was even able to catch that.

 **Dorulumon** : Speaking of inconsistencies, you called me a lion multiple times in chapter 5.

 **Zero Unit** : ...You're not a lion?

 **Dorulumon** : I'm a wolf!

 **Zero Unit** : But… the mane!

 **Yoshino** : Moving on, we do have a question, "If you guys met the Appli Drivers, what would you tell them? What is the message from the older generations to the new?"

 **Rei** : Interesting… So this is the fourth wall space.

 **Astra** : We're actually meeting the Chosen Children in the flesh! Do you feel it? Do you not?

 **Musimon** : Yeah, we feel it!

 **Davis** : Whoa! What is, uh, what are they doing here?

 **Haru** : Well, Zero invited us to make sure you guys answer honestly.

 **Eri** : Because if you didn't, I'd have to give you guys an explosive punch!

 **Rika** : Well, I can start. I have to say that I wasn't sure about you guys carrying on the legacy at first. You were all kind of silly, there was never any sense of tension, and I couldn't take any of the bad guys seriously. But I think you all showed a lot of growth and proved yourselves worthy.

 **Tai** : I agree. I think you guys really made the show your own and appealed greatly to the modern era of kids.

 **Agumon** : It was also a lot of fun for me to cameo in your show!

 **Taiki** : I think in general, we're all just really proud to see you guys do as well as you did. And personally speaking, I thought that the last few episodes were really impressive.

 **Kouji** : *Chuckles to himself* It certainly went beyond my expectations.

 **Jeri** : *Going over to Offmon* And I think you're just about the most adorable thing!

 **Kari** : *Joining her* I really couldn't take my eyes off you whenever you were on screen.

 **Offmon** : *Slowly looks up at them, small smile and shining eyes and sparkles* Off~

 **Jeri & Kari**: *Gushes* Awwwwwwww.

 **Liollmon** : Gatomon… help me, I think I'm…

 **Gatomon** : *Smirks* Jealous?

 **Liollmon** : Yeah, that...

 **Gatchmon** : *Sighs* You'll get used to it.

 **Dokamon** : Join us at the end where we'll tell you guys how we feel about our predecessors!

 **Hackmon** : Until then… please enjoy today's chapter.

-X-

 **January 24: Kingdom Town Market — 11:57 AM**

Thanks to her last encounter with the Chosen Children, Kuzuhamon had her magic sealed. She could no longer rely on her vast arsenal of spells aside from the one used to allow her to fly. But even so, she was confident that her martial arts prowess would be enough to defeat the Legendary Warrior of Wind.

As for Kazemon, she knew that while her opponent couldn't use magic, she was still in trouble. Rika had figured that the other sorceress wouldn't give up so easily. The only way they'd be able to get a Digimon as prideful as Kuzuhamon to give up her loyalties to the Demon Lords was to push her as far back into the corner as possible. One would think that losing access to her mana would be enough but as Rika predicted, that was too optimistic an outlook.

The women faced each other. Tuning out the chaos going on around them. Then Kuzuhamon raised her staff, creating a jingle.

Underneath her visor, Kazemon's eyes twitched. There was another jingle, louder this time. But it sounded so close that Kazemon jerked her head to the side to look at it. But with a sudden gasp, she realized her mistake and swiftly ducked below the enemy's roundhouse kick.

Kazemon then took a deep breath and let it out in a strong enough exhale to blow herself backwards and repel Kuzuhamon. In the wind current, she could hear dozens of bells going off at once. At some point during her battle with the Deva, Kuzuhamon placed bells everywhere. It was so that Kazemon, who had such strong hearing, would react every time one of them would ring. The sound resembled that of Kuzuhamon's staff so closely that her mind started playing tricks on her.

"But now that I know your trick," said Kazemon. "You won't be able to get me again."

Kuzuhamon stood back up, lightly dusting herself off. "Oh? Is that what you think?"

The mage tossed her staff to the side and then sprinted forward. Kazemon backhanded the air, generating a powerful wave of wind. But Kuzuhamon flipped right over it and landed gracefully directly in front of the fairy. The two women began throwing punches and kicks at each other that was countered easily by the other.

The pair didn't even realize it when they started taking flight. They pushed each other back before flying right back at each other. Each collision accompanied by the impact of their legs as they tried to drive their heels into their opponent's heads.

Ring! Ring!

Kazemon willed herself not to look. And that was a mistake. Kuzuhamon's fallen staff suddenly flew in and smashed into the side of the Warrior's stomach.

"Gah!" the fairy yelped.

Kuzuhamon caught her weapon and with a flourish, slammed it down on Kazemon's body, sending her down to the ground. "I can beat you without magic."

Kazemon hit the ground, landing on one of her wings. It bent at an unnatural angle and she screamed out in agony. Inside, as a human, it felt like someone slowly tore open her back with a jagged piece of glass, then reached in and removed a front rib. But they did it in way that made the bone catch onto as many of her internal organs as possible. And it was obvious that Kuzuhamon had hit her so that she would fall in that way.

"My… my wing!" she grunted.

The spirit of Kazemon let out a cry. " _Zoey!_ "

Had this been three years ago, during their first adventure, only the spirit would've felt that searing pain. But now even the human host could experience the equivalent on their own body. Even if it was on something like wings or a tail that Zoey did not have. She could feel it.

" _Turn into me!_ " said Zephyrmon. " _My wings are fine!_ "

Biting through the pain, the Legendary Warrior stood back up, wrapping herself up in cocoon. "Slide Evolution: Zephyrmon!" She could still feel the sting but it was better.

As Zephyrmon, her senses were even sharper than before. She could see the thin silver strings that ran through the outskirts of the battlefield. At the end of each one was a bell. Except for one strand which was attached to Kuzuhamon's staff. In other words, letting the Warrior realize the bell trick early on was just a part of the sorceress's strategy.

It irked Zephyrmon to have fallen for such a display. So she took off from the ground without even having to stand up. Flexing her claws, she swiped at Kuzuhamon who slid out of the way though the Warrior was able to cut off a few strands of Kuzuhamon's hair.

"You're pretty fast," Kuzuhamon remarked. She then slammed the point of her heel into Zephyrmon's side, sending the bird lady into a building. "But not fast enough."

"Hurricane Gale!"

The hole that Zephyrmon made became larger as a powerful wind blasted through, rapidly eroding away at the sides. Wind was a unique element in that it was difficult to see it coming. The only sense you could really rely on in order to be able to tell the direction was sound and touch. But of course, by the time you felt the touch, it was too late. Yet Kuzuhamon could see each strand of wind and twisted her body in a way that evaded getting cut by the gale.

Zephyrmon zipped out, her claws crackling with red electricity. "Plasma Paws!"

Kuzuhamon had been training the last few days with some of Laylamon's other servants. For a while, she would instinctively try to put up her magical barriers to protect herself. But now that she was used to fighting without magic, she could easily avoid attacks just by maneuvering her body through the air.

"You're even better than I thought," Kuzuhamon smirked, evading a punch. "I will definitely… make you my Akumako!"

Zephyrmon could hear the bells. But just in case, her pupils darted in the direction to make sure it wasn't another trick. It lowered her reaction time just a bit but it was better than dealing with the consequences of another surprise tactic.

"In your dreams!"

Every time Zephyrmon thought she got a hit in, it was just her claws scraping against the staff. Sparks flew out in every direction as they twisted around each other.

"Tch, how obstinate," said Kuzuhamon.

Zephyrmon tried changing tactics, moving more like a dancer. But it seemed like Kuzuhamon even took this possibility into account. "That's, ugh, my line!"

" _Zoey, give me the controls,_ " instructed the beast spirit.

" _Eh?_ "

" _You're hurt right now. And what we need is to surprise her._ "

Kazemon's voice joined in although it sounded weaker than usual. " _And you think going wild is the way to do that?_ "

" _Zoey_ ," said Zephyrmon, completely ignoring her counterpart. " _Do you trust me?_ "

To Kuzuhamon's surprise, her foe suddenly stopped her assault and put some distance between them. Before the sorceress could take this moment to catch her breath, the humanoid beast shot back at her. And Kuzuhamon held up her staff to block the claw. She was actually pushed back, the nails just a centimeter away from piercing her face.

Zephyrmon smirked underneath her mask. She suddenly used the staff like a gymnast, swinging through in between the weapon and the Mega, slamming her foot into Kuzuhamon's chin. The mage released her scepter and Zephyrmon slowed her loop before putting as much energy as possible into her claw. Once more, hitting Kuzuhamon's jaw and sending her enemy skywards.

"Gilgamesh Upper!"

" _Hold on!_ " Zoey cried out. " _Since when did we have that move?_ "

If Kazemon was physically able to, she'd pat her partner's back. " _Zephyrmon loves to keep secrets._ "

Kuzuhamon paused, remaining in the sky as she rubbed at the bruise on her once flawless face. It hurt moving her jaw, but her pride stung even worse. Still, the impact wasn't as strong as it would've been had spirit and human host been working together. Although even with Zoey's help, they might not have enough strength to deal a finishing blow.

Zephyrmon scoffed in frustration. "I'm lacking in power."

"But without magic, I might not be able to win either," Kuzuhamon muttered.

"We're at a stalemate," they both stated.

A giggle suddenly passed between Kuzuhamon's lips, putting Zephyrmon on her guard. The sorceress started laughing outright, letting her voice fill in the gaps where the explosions didn't quite cover. Then delicately covering her mouth with a finger, she looked back down at her foe.

"So I can't win on my own, huh?" Kuzuhamon giggled. "Then I guess it's time. Delusion Crow!"

A sudden cawing reached Zephyrmon's ears, burrowing into her canals and into her mind. Her claws flew up to her head, tearing her own hair and feathers out. It wasn't as agonizingly painful as when she was struck by Dianamon's mind-melting moonlight. But that didn't nullify the pounding she felt coming from the inside of her skull.

"Magic?" Zephyrmon gasped. "Could she… urk, be using another source for her spells?"

Kuzuhamon licked her lips. "Heh, wouldn't you like to know? Heavy Beam!"

Zephyrmon tried to deflect the rays coming for her but they impacted her chest directly. She lost control of her flight and hit the ground. But by then, she had it figured out. Kuzuhamon probably thought she was so clever, doing it like this. But her mistake was using that attack.

As soon as the Legendary Warrior got back up, she produced a powerful wind that went around the entire perimeter of the battlefield. "Hurricane Gale!"

Two? Four? No, there were a total of five screams. And Zephyrmon watched a Nohemon, Bucchiemon, Orcamon, Seahomon, and Gargoylemon get blown out of hiding.

Kuzuhamon was actually stunned. "You already figured it out?!"

"How cowardly," Zephyrmon scoffed, standing upright and dusting away at her arm. "I wouldn't have suspected you of all Digimon to do something so low."

Kuzuhamon hadn't wanted to. But her mistress insisted that it would be too dangerous to go it on her own. So she employed five members of her Armored Lovelies to follow. Kuzuhamon made them swear not to interfere unless she gave them explicit permission. That of course, came in the form of calling out attack names and the Lovelies responding. But to be found out made this even more shameful for her.

"Did you hear them?" Kuzuhamon grumbled.

Zephyrmon shook her head. "I'm just good at retaining information. According to Rika, no one can use two continuous spells at the same time. And according to Airu, who's got a Bucchiemon as a partner, Heavy Beam is a move exclusive to that Digimon."

Nohemon bowed before Kuzuhamon. "We are _so_ sorry, milady!"

"We didn't mean to embarrass you!" Gargoylemon added.

Kuzuhamon let out an one-syllable sound that was a cross between annoyance and relief. "It's fine. I'd rather not fight my opponent from the shadows anyway." She then looked over the five faces in turn, noticing that they were awaiting her orders. "Take care of Zephyrmon. I will make her my Akumako, one way or another."

Zephyrmon put a hand to her hip. "Hmph, now you're starting to sound more like a villain."

"Delusion Crow!"

Zephyrmon's claws flew to her ears as she tried to block out the incessant cawing coming from the stuffed crow perched on Nohemon's gloved hand. Seahomon and Bucchiemon both opened fire with their respective beam attacks which Zephyrmon had to block by whipping her tail around. But having turned her back on them, she was caught off guard as a Gargoylemon locked her arms, spinning them both around.

"H-Hey! Let go!" Zephyrmon snapped, struggling in his grasp.

Gargoylemon was really trying hard to keep her still. "Now Orcamon! And hurry! She's stronger than she looks!"

"Ultrasonic Crusher!"

Zephyrmon glared at the sound wave coming at her. She kicked up her legs, creating a wind that not only threw her into the air but deflected the wave. While she was in the sky, she pushed her elbows backwards, digging into either side of her captor. There was a crack, a shout, and a thud as Gargoylemon dropped.

"What?" Orcamon gasped.

"Prism Rainbow!" "Delusion Crow!" "Heavy Beam!"

Zephyrmon surrounded herself in a cyclone that deflected all of their attacks. Then, one by one, each of the Armored Lovelies got sucked into the twister. As each of them came close to Zephyrmon from the inside, she slashed away at them with her claws. Finally, they were spit out of the vortex and they crashed into various spots around the market.

Kuzuhamon was able to keep herself from entering the vaccuum by jamming the end of her staff into the ground. But from the outside, she was forced to watch her subordinates get beaten down so easily. To make it even worse, it felt like Zephyrmon was growing in power. She didn't need magic to sense that much.

"Why?!" Kuzuhamon snarled. "How do you humans continue to get so much stronger by the second?!"

Zephyrmon stopped spinning and crossed her arms, refusing to let her dizziness show on her exterior. "I don't know about the others but in general, us humans get stronger because of our emotions. And right now, I'm feeling pretty mad."

"Mad?"

"This entire fight reminds me of Ranamon," Zephyrmon continued. "You've both thrown away your pride as fighters to resort to underhanded tactics."

The corners of Kuzuhamon's mouth tugged down. "I still have my pride as a warrior! But my magic… how do you expect me to win without my magic?!"

"We… can help you," Seahomon grunted.

"Eh?"

Bucchiemon pulled herself closer to the Mega. "There was another reason why Laylamon asked us to be your attendants."

"If you absorb us," Orcamon huffed. "We'll work the seal out of your datastream."

Kuzuhamon hesitated, looking over the Lovelies. "But then… you'll all disappear."

"We don't care!" Gargoylemon snapped. "So long as we can win for Mistress Laylamon."

Zephyrmon's eyes widened in horror as everything transpired so quickly. With a booming, united cry, the five Armored Lovelies turned into silhouettes, leaving behind Fractal Codes which were all then consumed by the sorceress. The character, "封" (seal), appeared in front of the sorceress and then shattered.

The Legendary Warrior felt lost. What was her next move supposed to be if Sakuyamon's magical seal had been broken? In a desperate act to get a hit in before her chance would escape, she gathered the energy of the air to her core. "Hurricane Gale!"

Time stood still. No wind passed, no buildings blew up, and no monsters roared from overhead. It all slowed so that Kuzuhamon could take as much time as she wanted raising her arm, splaying out her palm, and creating a barrier. Time continued and Zephyrmon watched as her wind bounced right off of the invisible shield, going around and rendering much of everything behind her enemy into ash and dust.

"This time," said Kuzuhamon, "I won't lose to a human."

Zephyrmon swallowed. "I don't plan on losing either."

 **January 24: GranLocomon Line — 11:17 AM**

The influence of the Demon Lords had every citizen in the Digital World hiding in fear. They found strongholds and secret levels in order to keep themselves from being found. The rest were working to protect the world. They were doing their best to keep their fellow Digimon safe and support the Chosen Children.

However, the Trailmon were no longer running, they were shut down at their grand station and buried underground by the station master. So in order to make it to their destination, the settlement that asked for help, the DigiDestined were riding in GranLocomon. One of the few vehicle Digimon that could withstand air raids and enemy attacks. So long as a Demon Lord wasn't directly involved anyway.

"This is a bit weird for me," Takato remarked, chuckling humorlessly.

He was trying to release the tension since there was a lot of it in this armored train cart. After all, it was just a couple of minutes ago that Kouji smelled the gunpowder coming from the Kingdom Town. Taiki tried to reach out to Wisemon through the communication channel but either the connection was faulty or there really had been an attack right after they left.

"Should we go back?" TK had inquired. "This whole thing might've been a diversion."

Kristy nodded agreement. "Even worse, the settlement could be a grounds for a trap. After all, they specifically asked for you, Taiki."

The red General had to admit that it did seem suspicious. And he was probably the biggest threat to the Demon Lords with his ability to combine multiple Digimon into a one-mon army. He also had a knack for combinations and strategizing that would be less than savory to deal with for the enemy. Yet at the same time…

"I can't ignore a problem when it's right in front of me," Taiki told them. "If it turns out that the town was in danger and we go back, I wouldn't know what to do with myself."

Shoutmon chuckled, expecting this answer from his partner. "I _am_ worried about my Kingdom. But at the same time, we aren't the only capable DigiDestined."

"We'll leave things to Nene and the others," said Taiki. "We have our own mission."

The group was confident that the other Chosen would be able to come out victorious. But it didn't really put their minds at ease. So the atmosphere has been stiff and awkward since then. The only sound came from Guilmon emptying out the dining cart. Which consisted of chomping, clanging plates, and shouting chefs.

TK turned around in his seat to look over at the Tamer. "Come to think of it, you never told us about the GranLocomon incident."

"It's not exactly a fun story," said the brunet. "Nor is it my place to tell."

Patamon ruffled his wings. "What, did Rika make you swear never to tell unless she says so?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

The Burgermon chefs were chasing around Guilmon from inside the dining cart, trying to get him to stop gobbling up the ingredients they were going to use for lunch. In the meantime, Spadamon finished connecting their channel over to the settlement. The video feed showed what used to be a rural village, now burned to blackness. There were Tyrannomon and DarkTyrannomon everywhere, breathing their hot flames over any structure that was still standing.

"It only got this bad recently," said Spadamon. "According to the reports, it was only dinosaur Digimon that were attacking until a leader showed up."

Kouji frowned when he saw a bipedal, humanoid Digimon fly across the screen. It was eerily familiar to him. "A leader?" He had a bad feeling about this. "Who?"

Shoutmon had read the reports too, so he knew how bad it was. "Crusadermon."

"Figures," Kouji muttered. "A Royal Knight."

"Which means we'll have a tough fight on our hands," said Taiki. "And as much as I would like to, I think I'll leave Crusadermon to you, Kouji. You know her best. And Takato…"

The Tamer sat up straight. "Give him support, right?"

"So what about us?" asked Kristy.

"There's a chance that Crusadermon isn't the only Royal Knight there," said Shoutmon. "She has, as you know, worked in coalition with Dynasmon in the past."

Taiki glanced back at the video feed. They couldn't really see much aside from the raging flames and the marching dinosaurs. It was a like a scene out of Godzilla. Especially when DarkTyrannomon came close to the feed, opened his intimidating jaws, and burned down the camera, leaving behind only static.

"We also have to assume that there might be someone in control of the dinosaurs," said Taiki.

TK was able to put the rest together. "So our job, aside from clean up, is to be on standby in case another big enemy shows up."

"That's right."

Kristy noticed her partner staring out the window, an incredibly focused expression on the avian's face as he looked out onto the horizon. The brunette got closer, looking past the glass to see if she could see anything. But as far as she could tell, there was nothing of interest.

"What are you looking at?" asked Kristy.

Biyomon tilted his head to the side. "I'm not sure… But whatever it is, it's getting closer."

Everyone tensed up when they heard that. They kept their eyes trained on the horizon and before long, they saw it. Two tiny dots that were speeding up by the second, getting closer and closer to them. The DigiDestined pulled out their digivices in case they had to throw down with these new Digimon but soon, they recognized the terrifying faces of Minervamon and Mervamon.

"Are they… racing each other?" Patamon wondered aloud.

The two Olympians leapt into the air like they were jumping a hurdle on a race track. They made it over GranLocomon in a single bound and continued sprinting towards the Kingdom Town. From the way they were screaming, it was clear that the competition between them was fierce.

Their attention returned to the first window when they heard a tapping. Everyone jumped backwards when they saw Keenan waving at them from the outside. His eyes were barely open and his hair was flying all over the place as he hung on to Crowmon as tightly as possible. They would open the window to let him in but because the cart was armored, they couldn't. So they tried their best to mutely signal him to get in through the door in the kaboose.

"I'm glad this world doesn't have _tiny_ bugs," Keenan huffed after gulping down an entire water bottle.

"Jeez, you really worried me, you know," Kristy chided. "Disappearing like that… I wasn't sure if you were going to come back or not."

Keenan tossed the empty bottle into the trash receptacle in the corner before grinning up at his best human friend. "Worried?"

"Of course," she replied. "For your parents. They lost you once, you know."

Keenan's expression became solemn immediately before he looked away from her. "Did… you talk to them?"

"Yeah," Kristy nodded. "I told them not to worry, of course."

Shoutmon leaned in close to his partner. "I've never seen a situation go from flirtatious to tense so quickly."

Kristy threw him a glare. "Who said we were flirting?!"

It seemed Keenan and Falcomon needed to rest after chasing after the two Goddesses for several miles. Kazu was lagging behind but he insisted on getting there through his own power. As much as they would like to stay and eat lunch with the group, it would be beneficial for them to head straight to the Kingdom Town. After all, they were needed elsewhere.

 **January 24: Kingdom Town Market — 12:24 PM**

Zephyrmon flew through the chains that sprung out at her from all sides. It felt like what an agile burglar would do in order to get through a grid of lasers. But in this case, she wasn't getting any closer to her target. Every time she tried to sink her claws into Kuzuhamon, a new chain would appear in front of her, diverting her in another direction. It wasn't long before she found herself trapped in a ball of metal.

"What's with this?" Zephyrmon gasped. "How do I… What do I…?"

From the outside, Kuzuhamon couldn't keep the smug smile off her face. She threw her staff against the ball and whispered an enchantment.

From the inside, the Legendary Warrior saw the sharp end of the scepter poking in. A ball of white light gathered at the point before bursting forward in the shape of a fox spirit. Zephyrmon covered her face as she felt the heat envelop her. Her feathers were burning and her skin felt like it was melting.

So she tried to push wind outwards from her body, attempting to keep the flames from touching her. But it was too much for her to handle. To make it worse, as she took control of her element, it felt like the breathable air was getting thinner. She'd pass out before getting turned into fried chicken.

She had to think. The only counter to magic, what would that be? She felt like Rika must've taught her something on this kind of combat.

" _You can't win against Mega-level magic," said Rika. "It's impossible for you."_

 _Zoey couldn't believe how blunt her classmate could be. Based on the murmuring from the others, they agreed with that sentiment._

 _Taiki had made a suggestion to the female Tamer to teach the others on how to handle Digimon that used magic, since they were some of the trickiest ones to fight. But aside from those that could reach Mega or at least fusion evolve, all Rika had to say was that there was no way of beating Mega-level magic users._

" _Is there really no way of combating them?" asked Zoey._

 _The redhead put a hand to her chin to think about it. "Not unless you're a Tamer using cards or you're fighting with numbers instead of power."_

 _Kari fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat. "And if it's one on one?"_

" _Just try your best," Rika shrugged. As she was about to stand up and leave them, another thought occurred to her. "Although…"_

Zephyrmon took a deep breath and let the flames cover her body once more. The scorching heat made it hard for her not to scream out. It was loud enough to pass through the chains. When Kuzuhamon heard it, she stopped the fire and cautiously unraveled the sphere. And down dropped the Legendary Warrior, a black-burnt pile of feathers.

"Hmph," Kuzuhamon grinned. A laugh bubbled up her chest and rose out of her lips. "Did you really think you could win?"

Zephyrmon's winged ear twitched when she heard a heel click right near her head. Once she was sure that the sorceress was standing over her, she put all of her remaining energy into one of her claws. And she made a powerful uppercut, aimed for Kuzuhamon's chin.

"Gilgamesh Upper!"

" _You can always try to outsmart them."_

Kuzuhamon took a step back, narrowly avoiding the sharp nails. But as the Warrior came back up, she twisted her body around and slammed a back kick right into the mage's stomach. The pair were pushed in opposing directions, until they once again stood at a standstill, facing each other. Kuzuhamon still possessed her original grace. But Zephyrmon was slouched over, trying to control her labored breathing.

"Hmph," Kuzuhamon scoffed. "What can you do in your condition?"

Zoey now stood where her beast form did. She knew her opponent was right. The only reason why she was still alive was because she knew Kuzuhamon wanted her to live. You can't exactly have a partner if they're dead. But could Zoey really call this outsmarting the mage?

"You're right," said the blonde. "It's hopeless in my condition."

"So just give up and be my Aku—"

Zoey took a deep breath and expelled it all at once. "Even so!" She took a step and collapsed to her knees. "Even so… I'll keep fighting. Until my very last breath!"

Kuzuhamon was growing tired of the human girl's persistence. So with a flick of her wrist, more chains burst forward, looping around Zoey's body. Her entire body from neck to foot was restricted by metal, suffocating her. And she could feel the ridges digging their way into her skin.

"Intelligent, creative, tough, and resolute," Kuzuhamon listed off. "I just know you'll… hm? Why are you… smiling?"

Zoey looked up. "I can hear him coming."

"Celestial Blade!"

Kuzuhamon quickly raised a barrier over her head as lightning struck down. Judging from the amount of power that was poured into it, not only was it unnatural, but it was produced by a very strong Digimon. Definitely one at the Mega level.

Keenan appeared beside Zoey with a sword. By putting his DigiSoul into the blade, he was able to break his schoolmate free from the chains.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Zoey nodded her head as she tried to push herself up. "Somewhat."

"Ravemon, take her down!" Keenan commanded.

In the meantime, Keenan was getting a first-aid kit from out of his bag to treat Zoey's wounds. Despite having near zero energy, she still wanted to get back into the fight. And he knew having her able to do so would be a big help. Not only had Ravemon expended a lot of energy flying but he was taking on the multiple air raids just moments before coming to Zoey's rescue. So he was too fatigued to even enter Burst Mode anymore.

"I won't lose to anyone anymore!" Kuzuhamon shouted. "Reverse Izuna!"

Ravemon took a step back and held up his blade which he had a backhanded grip on. Swinging it around at high speeds generated a wind which surrounded the weapon. He used this to easily slice through the flaming fox spirit that came towards him before spinning the sword into a normal grip and thrusting it forward. A giant raven made of electricity shot forward from the end, screeching loudly.

Kuzuhamon blocked it with another barrier. As soon as it vanished though, she found Ravemon in front of her, hacking away with his sword. She quickly blocked it with her staff before discreetly tugging on an invisible string. There was a jingle and for just a second, Ravemon's attention was diverted and a heel found its way into his chest as he was flung backwards.

"I almost forgot about those," Zoey murmured.

Keenan glanced around, noticing tiny glints here and there. "So she rigged a bunch of bells around. Pay them no mind, Ravemon!"

"If you do that, she'll just trick you in another way," said Zoey, getting up onto her feet. "I need to help."

Keenan grabbed her wrist. "Your wounds were _just_ sealed. If you move around too much…"

"They'll reopen, I know."

Even so, Zoey was going to stick to what she said. She would fight until her last breath. If it meant saving this world and protecting the smiles of the Digimon around her, then she would do whatever it took. After all, she knew her fellow Warriors would do the same. Actually, Takuya's already done the same, now that she thought about it. They were more alike than either of them cared to admit.

" _Kazemon… Zephyrmon…,_ " thought Zoey, " _Being inside that ball of chains… reminded me just how much I love the open air._ "

Kazemon from inside nodded. " _So does this mean… you want to try it?_ "

Zoey breathed in the ash-covered air, loathing the sting it left on her nose. She was reminded of what it felt like when she would just have the car window open, letting the rushing breeze run across her face. She was reminded of what it felt like during school festivals and running across the race track, letting her hair follow behind. And she was reminded of what it was like, leaping off the high dive. Letting it rush over her skin. The wind. That was her element.

"Execute!" Zoey wanted to feel it again. That wind. "Fusion Evolution!"

Keenan's eyes widened. "Whoa!"

Like her previous forms, this one was humanoid. But there were many mechanical additions to her body, from the sleek wings to the tiny airplane on her head. Her body in general appeared very aerodynamic and shiny. Though the strangest thing to appear was a giant pinwheel in her hands. It had a sharpened spear at the end though.

"JetSilphymon!"

Keenan stood up, a twitch tugging at the corner of his mouth. "W-Wait, is the pinwheel supposed to be your weapon?"

The Legendary Warrior looked down at the staff. She did a double take before glancing back at Keenan. "I guess so… Well…" She had to wonder why she and Tommy had such strange weapons in their fusion forms. "It'll have to do."

 **Digital Analyzer** : JetSilphymon is capable of moving so fast that she becomes the wind, invisible to the naked eye. Not only has she inherited the grand power of AncientKazemon as well as obtained some unknown abilities as a cyborg. She flies through the skies like a jet and her pinwheel spear is capable of generating winds that are fifty times more powerful than either of her other forms could.

JetSilphymon's wings whirred to life and Keenan knew he had to get out of the way unless he wanted to get blown away by the backdraft. She took a step forward and vanished. Though she could be heard loud and clear as her wings mimicked the ear-splitting sound of plane turbines.

The noise gave away her position. Even if it hadn't, Kuzuhamon could sense presences no matter how hard they tried to hide them. But neither of those factors meant a thing if she couldn't keep up with her enemy's speed. She held up her polearm to block the spear that she knew was coming, but she was a second too late and felt an incision breaking through her data on her side.

"She's fast," Keenan remarked.

"Faster than me," Ravemon admitted.

Kuzuhamon started making chains again, using the same tactic that had trapped the Warrior before. But not only were they too slow, but JetSilphymon now had the power to break them with her pinwheel. She dashed back and forth, slicing into the mage with every chance she got. And many came her way thanks to her speed.

"Womb Realm Mandala!"

JetSilphymon became visible once again when the forcefield popped up. Even she couldn't avoid the omni-directional barrier. But thanks to her new metallic body, she was able to take the brunt of the pushback much better than normal. Now she wished her other forms had armor as well instead of the scantily clad clothes they usually wore.

"You can't hide forever!" said JetSilphymon.

"That's what you think," Kuzuhamon retorted. With a snap of her fingers, she turned invisible.

JetSilphymon let out a groan. "Me and my big mouth."

Under normal conditions, they would detect invisible enemies with their hearing but it was difficult to discern which was their opponent and what was just a bell. From every direction, a different one jingled. Keenan started running around and plucking them off from where they were hanging and flinging them as far as he could throw them. But he only made it to the second one before hearing his partner yelp.

Ravemon was hit by a staff, causing him to double over. JetSilphymon spun around to look at her comrade but got her legs swept out from underneath her, causing her to fall onto her face. As they both recovered from their respective attacks, they saw a fox spirit coming towards them.

"Not again," Ravemon groaned.

JetSilphymon's pinwheel started spinning. "Leave it to me! Ultra Turbulence!"

All the bells started jingling at once as a sideways tornado burst from the wheel. It was so strong that if JetSilphymon didn't carefully point it upwards, it would surely demolish a large section of the town. Or what was left of that section anyway. Regardless, they were able to hear the grunting of someone trying to move against the whirlwind.

Ravemon took his place beside the Warrior and raised his sword to the sky. "Celestial Blade!"

The clouds swirled angrily overhead before landing a wide-ranged lightning strike in the general area of where they believed Kuzuhamon was. The ground was left in a worse state than before, if that was even possible. Aside from the dug up dirt and fallen buildings, everything was charred black. And yet, they managed to miss their target.

"Where'd she go?" JetSilphymon wondered aloud.

Ravemon clicked his tongue in frustration. "She must've teleported away at the last—Gah!"

JetSilphymon spun around in time to see Kuzuhamon hitting her ally with the jangly side of the scepter. The mage then twirled her weapon around in an attempt to smash it over the cyborg's head. But the Warrior was able to block it with her own polearm just in time. The two women then started trying to get a blow in though each was easily blocked. Even when JetSilphymon tried to throw a jet-powered punch, they were immediately deflected by barriers put up in advance.

Keenan seemed to notice this is as well. "Is Kuzuhamon predicting her movements before she makes them?"

"Is there a mind-reading spell?" Ravemon coughed.

"There is!" JetSilphymon grunted, ducking under a high spin kick. "But it requires intense concentration and for the caster to stand absolutely still!"

"So this is Kuzuhamon's natural ability then," Keenan concluded. "Ravemon!"

The humanoid avian nodded before drawing his blade. In the blink of an eye, he vanished into thin air using his phenomenal speed. Kuzuhamon sensed the presence and immediately blocked the blade with her staff. Her front became exposed to JetSilphymon's high-speed kick which Kuzuhamon was forced to try and block with her knee.

Despite the sorceress's tenacious parrying, she was being back into a corner. Keeping up with just one of her foes was difficult enough due to their steadily accelerating speed. Her movements were becoming more frantic by the second. She could feel cuts and impacts against her shoulders, accumulating to heavy damage. She had to find a way to get them away from her.

"Womb Realm—!"

Ravemon and JetSilphymon pivoted on their heels, mirroring each other perfectly, as they spun into the mage's direct line of sight. Continuing the momentum by maintaining it in their arms, they placed their open palms into Kuzuhamon's bare stomach. They then added extra force by striking their own elbows with their free hands, sending a pulse that pushed Kuzuhamon backwards, right into a crumbling wall.

"I can't keep up!" Kuzuhamon huffed.

She tried to cast another incantation but with her focus on the Digimon, she didn't notice the human running towards her. Keenan scaled the wall without using his hands and looped his fingers into the circle of their enemy's staff. As he landed on the ground, tumbling to break his fall, he hugged the weapon to his chest.

"Can't use high-level magic without this," the boy grinned.

"My staff!"

Kuzuhamon looked up and saw Ravemon sprinting towards her. She couldn't use her ordinary spells so she gathered energy into her closed fist and let it loose in condensed bolt.

"Not this time!" Ravemon front flipped over the blast, landing with grace. In his hands were his scabbard and sword, both in a backhanded grip. At a blinding speed, her pelted his opponent repeatedly with the blunt force of his weapons. Then in a final strike, Ravemon performed an uppercut that sent the beaten sorceress flying skywards.

JetSilphymon had long since been moving at supersonic speeds. Kuzuhamon could sense the presence coming at her from behind. But everything was happening so fast that she wasn't sure whether to take flight, teleport, or put up a barrier. Despite the fact that the latter two options were impossible to do in a split second without her staff. So she was at the mercy of the Legendary Warrior who finally made her presence visible.

"Jet Binter!"

JetSilphymon's cybernetic arms sprung to life as the turbines began spinning at unparalleled speeds. In a pose reminiscent of Superman, she rocketed forward, crashing her body into Kuzuhamon. The two women were in the air once second, and creating a mammoth crater in the ground in the next. Through the dust cloud, they could see a glowing Fractal code.

Keenan let go of the staff, realizing that it was breaking apart into data bits. "Finally…"

"That should be my line," JetSilphymon sighed. "Let the breeze take you to a new life, Fractal Code digitize!"

By the time that the dust had cleared, everyone had returned to their original forms and found refuge in the cellar of what used to be a bar. They could tell because they were surrounded by wooden barrels filled with booze. They carried the bruised and battered body of Vulpemon, the Rookie that had been left in Kuzuhamon's place. She didn't just hold a resemblance to Rika's partner, they were mirror images of each other just with different color palettes.

"The enemy's army won't last for long," Falcomon remarked. "We took out a lot of their battalions on our way to you."

Vulpemon began to stir as Keenan bandaged up her arm. It seemed that the impact of the last attack did some serious damage. She tried to kick him but only winced in pain.

"Easy," said Zoey. "You're in no shape to be fighting now."

Keenan nodded. "Just let me finish putting your arm into the sling. We can have the castle's medics look at it later."

The fox couldn't understand why they were being so kind to her after everything she put them through. She didn't know why they even cared so much that her arm was broken. After all, she could heal herself just by resting. Instead of asking these questions though, she looked over at the Legendary Warrior who was in a worse shape than she. At least, as bad as it could be without broken bones.

"Why not attend to your human friend?" inquired Vulpemon. "She's far more fragile than I am."

Keenan finished up wrapping the bandages. "Actually, she insisted I look at you first."

"Hmph, did you feel bad for being hypocritical back there?" scoffed the Rookie.

"Hypocritical?" Zoey frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Vulpemon narrowed her sharp eyes on the blonde. "You berated me for throwing away my pride but you only beat me because you did the same exact thing! How can you criticize me when you also had the aid of others?"

"I didn't berate you for having allies," Zoey retorted. "There are two things I consider to be throwing away you pride as a fighter. One: taking hostages to use as living shields. And two: disregarding the lives of your allies." She paused here, seeing the realization dawn on Vulpemon. "You not only took credit for their abilities, you absorbed them. Had you fought side by side with them, I wouldn't have said what I did."

The cellar became silent. And while no one verbally acknowledged it, they could tell that the explosions were growing far and few in between. The chaos was dying down.

"Humans are sinful," Vulpemon muttered, as if still trying to salvage her reasoning for siding with the Demon Lords. "It's because of them that…"

Keenan let out a sigh before placing a hand to his chin. "You know, I'm having a hard time seeing the sins as bad things. Too much sure but…"

"I have to agree with you there," Zoey smiled weakly. "After all, our goggle-heads are pretty greedy. Not only do they want to protect everyone they come across, but they want to make sure everyone is happy in the future too. Not that I can say I'm any less greedy in that case."

"That's not greed!" Vulpemon snapped.

"I think it is. It's desire, isn't it?" Falcomon broached.

Keenan nodded sagely. "And pride, I can't think of it as a bad thing to be proud of who you are or an accomplishment of yours."

The more they spoke, the more perplexed Vulpemon felt. How could everything she had witnessed on the human world, on those screens that her mistress left on display, how could these DigiDestined be spinning those types of emotions into good things? It just didn't make any form of logical sense. Yet she was curious to hear what they thought.

"What about lust or gluttony?" she posed. "What positive use could they have?"

Keenan had to take a moment to think about it. "Hunger and sexual desire… simply put, they're things that make you happy every now and then, right? That is, when you appease them. They're simple pleasures in life."

"Although some people need to learn to appease them through the right ways," said Zoey, a little edge in her tone.

"What about wrath?" Vulpemon asked.

The first thing to come to mind was to say that anger is what fueled a person when they see someone else commit a wrong. But that didn't seem like the proper response. After all, weren't wars started that way? One side felt that they were wronged and so they retaliated through violence, using that anger to spur the nation into picking up their firearms and pointing.

"I'll have to get back to you on that," Zoey admitted.

For some reason, she thought back to Henry and the rage he's kept inside. While playing cards with the Tamers, he let his guard down. He talked about how he used to be as a kid, throwing tantrums at the drop of a hat. Momentai wasn't just his catch phrase, it was his personal mantra.

What positive use was there for anger?

Keenan cocked his head to the side, his ear pointed towards the ceiling. "I think it's over. We should go meet with the others."

"I'll get you that answer," Zoey told Vulpemon. "So stay with us… You can observe us humans up close. That way… you can form your own opinion."

"My own opinion?"

"Of humans. Without Laylamon's influence."

The fox stared into the earnest green eyes of the girl. By abandoning the side of her mistress, she could be marked as a traitor. Yet the Demon Lords should understand if she were to return with even stronger convictions for her cause than before. And she was determined to obtain her own answer.

"Okay," Vulpemon nodded. "I'll go with you."

-X-

 **In a long battle between Zoey and Kuzuhamon, the human was able to come out the victor! With a little help from Keenan and a brand new evolution of course. In the meantime, we also learn what's to come for Taiki's group when they arrive to their destination. But will they be able to take on a Royal Knight and who knows what else? Find out next time on Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **Sora** : I can't believe you actually managed to make this fight into one whole chapter.

 **Zero Unit** : It needed to be. The next chapter is already done and it's the last fight. Thankfully, everything seems to have worked out.

 **Zoey** : I'm just glad it's over. So what do we have next?

 **Relena** : Just our fight remains.

 **Kouichi** : Also, we have a bunch of questions from various people. We're going to answer them the best we can in the oncoming opening skits. But unfortunately, this means we'll have to pare down our guest cameos. Sorry Appli Drivers.

 **Haru** : It's okay, we know you guys are really busy.

 **Eri** : Just be sure to give those Demon Lords an explosive punch for us!

 **Astra** : And just to let you guys know, we think you're all super cool!

 **Rei** : Hmph, good luck.

 **Hackmon** : Rei made crème brûlée for everyone.

 **Mimi** : Oh… those were for everyone?

 **Palmon** : Mimi!

 **Everyone** : Happy holidays everyone, we'll see you next year!


	35. Risen and Fallen

**Zero Unit** : Happy New Year! Cheers to a prosperous 2018!

 **Everyone** : Here, here!

 **Yutaka** : Unfortunately, we don't have much time to celebrate as we have multiple questions from readers. Let's start with this one for the Adventure cast specifically, "What do you guys think of the characters that were introduced in Tri?"

 **Gatomon** : I knew there was something suspicious about Himekawa Maki! Remember that smile of hers after Leomon was deleted?

 **Liollmon** : *Sighs* Every time.

 **Tai** : I kind of wish Nishijima Daigo was an actual teacher at our school though. He seems like a really chill guy. Unlike certain others I know.

 **Sora** : I like Meiko. Of course, the Tri story needed a new hook. So the introduction of a new Chosen with a problem partner is perfect.

 **Davis** : Yeah… but they could've continued with the Dark Ocean plot and focused on that.

 **Yolei** : *Bitterly* And maybe we would've been in it.

 **Agumon** : I feel bad for Meicoomon.

 **Gabumon** : Yeah, she just wanted to be friends with everyone. But we keep scaring her.

 **Biyomon** : Maybe we should stop attacking her in the next movie.

 **Joe** : You guys realize that we have no control over what the Tri writers decide to do, right? Whatever direction they decide to take, it's up to them. I think we should stick to what we said the first time we discussed this and just put our trust in them.

 **Izzy** : I think in general, we're in consensus. The newly introduced characters are great for developing the story that the writers have done for Tri. Not much concern to us though.

 **Mimi** : Well you don't have to put it so coldly.

 **Yoshino** : We have time for one more question. To the Generals, "The Demon Lords are regarded as true demons but what of others that share the same name which you have faced? We know Laylamon of the Bagra Army is weaker and the Lucemon you guys fought is probably the same, but what about Nene's Beelzemon?"

 **Nene** : Okay, first, please refrain from referring to the Digimon as our possessions. Beelzemon is my partner.

 **Impmon** : Second, we wouldn't know. *Creates a flame on his finger and smirks at Beelzemon* Want to fight to find out?

 **Beelzemon** : Erm… no thanks. The assumption is that I'm weaker.

 **Tommy** : But aren't the twins of Gluttony the weakest Demon Lords when separated?

 **Ken** : True, but that would make them outliers. The Demon Lord Beelzemon is near the same level as the others when his sister is with him at full power. Knowing that Nene's partner Beelzemon doesn't stand a chance against any of the other Demon Lords, we have to assume that he's weaker.

 **Takato** : Zero, you're the writer, can you confirm or deny?

 **Zero Unit** : Oh, Nene's partner is _way_ weaker. If he was the same level, the Demon Lords wouldn't be as threatening as they are. The Bagra Army's Death Generals would practically be on par with them if that had been the case!

 **Beelzemon** : Hm… Didn't even consider that.

 **Takuya** : Unfortunately, that's all the time we have for today! We hope you all enjoy today's chapter and may you have a wonderful first few weeks of 2018!

-X-

 **January 24: Kingdom Town, Abandoned Shop — 10:55 PM**

Kari knew that on the battleground, rationale was often thrown right out the window. So there was no reason to question why LadyDevimon would show up directly in front them. Perhaps she held a really strong grudge against Gatomon for some reason. Regardless, this was their chance to try and get their two foes to listen to what she had to say. But it was clear that they would have to prove their right to speak in a fight first.

Angewomon was firing arrow after arrow, trying to land just one on the devil who circled around her in an endless loop. It was dizzying and her cackle just made the process a whole lot more infuriating with each shot she missed. At some point, LadyDevimon stopped mid-flight, hardening her arm to a spear to deflect the last projectile before diving right for her enemy.

Angewomon swerved out of the way but one of her six wings was still stabbed through, sending feathers flying everywhere. "Agh!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," LadyDevimon smirked. "That hurt, blondie?" She raised her arm, ready to strike once more while Angewomon was trying to regain her balance. "I'll make sure it never hurts again!" As she was about to lunge forward, she felt her whole body freeze up. It was like she had been paralyzed from head to toe. And to her dismay, Angewomon stood straight, no bruise in her wing.

"Your arrogance will be your downfall," Angewomon grinned, pointing up.

Shakily shifting her pupils upwards, LadyDevimon saw a glittering aurora just hanging above their heads. It was raining multi-colored sparkles all around them. It's effect was well known at this point. It stuns dark attributes while healing all others.

"Is that what you think?" LadyDevimon scoffed.

The angel pulled back on the mystical bow, forming an incandescent bolt. "Celestial Arrow!"

"Darkness Wave!"

Bats flew out from LadyDevimon's back, shrouding her in the wings of a thousand of her screeching familiars. The arrow shot right through the flurry, striking down the bats in a flash. But it didn't seem like the projectile had hit its actual target.

"What?" Angewomon gasped. Her scalp was abruptly yanked backwards as a gloved hand dug through her hair. "You…"

LadyDevimon didn't let her enemy finish as she pulled back and dragged Angewomon into the bar. She then raised her claw, black electricity sparking from her fingertips, and brought it down onto the Chosen Digimon's face. "Stun Whip!"

Angewomon backhanded the wrist out of the way before throwing her leg up and smashing her heel under LadyDevimon's chin. The shock from the impact made her let go of Angewomon's hair. Using this chance, Angewomon grasped at the edge of the bar, twisted her body around and slammed her ankle into the side of LadyDevimon's head, sending her crashing into the back, shattering bottles and letting shards of glass rain down onto the floor.

Despite being both Ultimates that specialized in using their respective elements like long-range weapons, they were in close-quarters combat. And this process seemed to continue until they both kicked each other in the stomach, sending the other flying back into the air. As soon as they regained their aerial footing, they charged up their elements.

"Heaven's Charm!"

"Fallen's Curse!"

Kari had to cover her eyes as the room somehow was simultaneously darkened and lit up sporadically. It could give anyone a seizure if they looked at the collision directly. So the brunette was thankful that the other two fighters crashed through the wall and into the adjacent building, a restaurant.

Speaking of which...

Pandamon was at a clear disadvantage no matter how you looked at it. He was quick on his feet and his claws tore through the remains of the wall to shreds. Yet when he combined both those features and rocketed straight for Reapmon's chest, he was blocked by a hardened cape.

"Guiltish: Detonate," Reapmon whispered when the ursine made contact with his cape the first time.

A page flew from the mantle and suddenly attached itself to Pandamon's chest. It exploded and the Ultimate was sent flying. His back hit the ceiling, sending debris to the floor as he collapsed back down onto a table, breaking it into several pieces.

Relena ran to her partner's side. "Pandamon!"

"Madam," he grunted, trying to push her away. "Please… you need to stay back."

A page flew from the cape and hovered directly in front of Reapmon's face. In his deep voice, he stated, "Pandamon, an Ultimate level beast Digimon. His strengths are speed, his claws, and his ability to stay calm in any given situation. And his weaknesses… stomach, face, and if able to hit, the feet."

"Those pages have my weakness on it?" Pandamon grumbled.

"They also tend to lose confidence in themselves," he continued, "when they are unable to hit their target within twenty strikes."

They weren't sure how that information was on the page but for some reason, it irked Pandamon to know that so many generalized details about his species were just out in the open. To make things worse, he had no idea how to counter his own opponent's weapon and armor. No matter where he searched or how hard, he couldn't see an opening in this enemy.

Relena searched the room for a weapon of some sort to use. She grabbed a broken table leg and held it like a baseball bat. "I'm not going to leave you here on your own."

"Madam…"

Two pages flew out and hovered on either side of the pair. "Guiltish: Bind!" Reapmon called out.

The characters on the pages returned to their original strokes and strung together to form a singular line. They flew out from the pages and took the form of metal chains that surrounded the duo. Without a second thought, Pandamon slammed his paw into his partner's chest, sending her flying out of the way. The chains looped around and held down the bear.

"Madam," he grunted. "Forgive me if I hurt you…"

Relena had to admit, she's never been physically injured before. Well, she's fallen on her face a few times during physical therapy to get used to walking. But this was the first time an injury resulted in the tearing of skin and spilling of blood. She wasn't sure how she was going to stand up again but she forced herself up to look at the Ultimate.

"I'm… fine," she winced.

Relena hated to think that she needed an attendant to help her. A nurse to come when she called. She was supposed to be stronger now that she'd undergone her brother's surgery and become a Chosen Child. But it still felt like nothing had changed from her days as a bedridden, pampered princess. Why couldn't she stand up like the others after getting hurt a little?

"Guiltish: Detonate!"

More pages stuck onto Pandamon's body. The words glowed for just a moment before they exploded, covering Pandamon in a cloud of smoke. Relena's eyes widened in shock when she saw her partner crash right through the ceiling.

"No!" Relena cried out. Reapmon took a step towards her and she threw the table leg at him. It fell about a meter away from her face. "Stay away from me and my partner!"

But it didn't seem like he had any interest in her. He shifted his body ever so slightly to look at Kari who had just run to the other girl's side.

Reapmon raised his weapon and pointed it at them. The brunette specifically. "You… are to come with us."

"What?" Kari blinked. But she stood firmly between them, an arm out to show that she was going to protect her friend. "What do you want with me?"

"Don't know the details," Reapmon replied as he tore a page from his cape. "Just know the mission. Guiltish: Capture!"

The page seemed to expanded and enveloped Kari before she could even blink. All of a sudden she found herself in a clear bubble though it didn't have the fragility of one. She tried punching it, kicking it, even throwing her weight into it, but it didn't seem to budge whatsoever. It was like being held captive by Phantomon all over again except this time, she was not in there of her own volition.

Kari shouted, "Let me out!"

Relena couldn't hear a word that her schoolmate was saying. She just knew she had to help. So she hefted herself up onto a splintery stool and grabbed a fallen steak knife. She tried slashing at the bubble but it did nothing more than make the orb jiggle ever so sliightly.

"Kari!" Angewomon called out.

"You should really pay attention to your enemy."

LadyDevimon slammed her heel into the angel's side, sending her crashing through the wall and rolling over to the humans. The siblings of darkness moved as a singular unit. Claws and weapon raised, they made their way towards the entrapped girl and there seemed to be nothing that Angewomon could do about it.

"Animal Nail!"

LadyDevimon didn't even flinch as the panda dropped down from the ceiling, claws out and blazing white. Without pausing even once to acknowledge his presence, Reapmon tore off another page from his mantle. It zipped right over the siblings' heads and the words on it pulsed once.

"Guiltish: Electrify."

Pandamon hit the piece of paper like it was a floating cinder block. In the second he landed, he felt something dance across his chest before coursing through his veins. He roared in pain as hundreds of volts passed through him, sending flashes throughout the room.

"No!" Relena shrieked.

Kari spun around to the other girl, seeing the fear and distress in her face as Bearmon fell to the ground. Patches of fur was missing from his body. Any hair that was still there was pitch black, particularly on his stomach. His eyes were opened just a crack and it was clear he wanted to take a stand for his partner. But he could barely open his mouth to speak.

"Can I really not protect anyone?" Kari muttered to herself.

She had told JP that she wanted to try. She couldn't keep depending on others forever. There had to be something she could do.

"Kari…," Angewomon huffed, pushing herself up. "Kari… I can keep fighting. But… not if you… give up."

Kari knew that her partner was right. The most important thing in a situation where there was no light was to make sure that the light inside wouldn't be extinguished. In thinking that, she reached up and touched her necklace, feeling the sharp points of her crest. If a steak knife couldn't break the bubble then neither could a piece of metal that rested on her chest. Still, it was enough to calm her down.

"What is this?!" LadyDevimon suddenly shouted.

Kari opened her eyes to see that their two foes were trying to cover their eyes with their arms. The bubble surrounding her slowly dissolved and she found herself gently floating to the ground. It was a strange feeling. But warm. Something familiar. When did she feel this last?

"It's like that time with the Numemon," Angewomon remarked.

Right. That was it.

"Kari?" Relena blinked. For some reason, the light coming off her friend acted like Angewomon's Holy Air. It was healing her wounds. "I… feel better."

Kari took a deep breath, taking a step towards the enemy Digimon who took a step back. "I'm a Chosen Child… I have millions of Digimon depending on me to save and protect them. But how can I do that if I can't do that for myself?"

Always being protected from the first moment she discovered she was a DigiDestined. Whether it be by her brother, by Matt and Sora, by Wizardmon, by swarms of Numemon, Yolei, TK, Davis, and everyone else. And it was fine to be protected. But her duty was to be a protector.

The pink light faded away before coming back in a single burst. This time, emanating from her partner who had reverted to her Champion form.

"Gatomon Warp Digivolve to…" Her body became larger, hairier, and more muscular than it was before. Ten wings sprouted from her back and razor-sharp fangs jutted out from her mouth. Despite the bestial appearance this Digimon took, there was also something gentle about her. Something that made Kari and the others feel safe. "Magnadramon!"

"Tch!" LadyDevimon growled. "A Mega now?"

 **Digital** **Analyzer** : Known as the Dragon Queen of the South Sea, Magnadramon's form is said to belong to the very ruler of the skies. Although very few have ever seen her appearance. According to legend, her species arrived to the Digital World out of nowhere when a great evil threatened the world. With her vast power, she vanquished the evil and returned peace to the world.

Reapmon didn't hesitate to strike. "Guiltish: Bind!"

Chains flew out towards the dragon Digimon. Magnadramon's fur bristled as she flapped all ten of her wings, suddenly generating a pink shockwave that traveled outwards and shattered the bindings like they were made of glass. It repelled the two Ultimates backwards, sending them over Bearmon's body and toppling over a bunch of tables and chairs in their wake.

Relena quickly rushed forward and picked up her partner before retreating. It still hurt to stand but not as much as it did before.

"Madam, are you okay?" Bearmon inquired.

"You're the one in my arms," Relena replied. "I should be the one asking you that."

LadyDevimon inhaled, puffing up her chest before exhaling a poisonous fog. "Darkness Wave!"

"Hermit Fog!"

Magnadramon countered it with her own kind of misty exhalation. The glittering pink cloud easily overtook the approaching purple fog and surrounded the siblings. Just breathing it in made it difficult for the pair to stand.

"Guiltish," Reapmon coughed. "Twister!"

The fog blew away as a tornado appeared in the room. But Magnadramon flew right at it, slashing through with her claws before finding herself right in front of Reapmon. She covered herself in white flames, becoming a cyclone herself.

"Fire Tornado!"

"Guiltish: Shield!"

Just like the chains, Magnadramon broke right through the forcefield. LadyDevimon and Reapmon, while one level below her, were no amateurs on the battlefield. They quickly leapt into the air to avoid impact and it was good that they did because the entire wall behind them was disintegrated on the spot. It was actually a relief to everyone that the attack missed.

"Too much power," Magnadramon muttered, shaking the dust out of her fur. "I guess I don't know my own strength yet."

Reapmon landed on a barstool and a page tore itself from his cape and floated in front of his face. "Magnadramon are a species of holy dragon with unbelievable amounts of power. Weaknesses are currently unknown."

"Wonderful," LadyDevimon grimaced. She hardened her arm into a spear. "Then I guess we'll just have to make one! Black Wing!"

Reapmon nodded in agreement, holding up his baton. "God Beating!"

"Look out!" Relena gasped.

For some reason, Kari felt like she was the one seeing the weapons coming towards her. So instinctively, she raised her arms, not to cover her head, but to catch them. It was strange. She never had any athletic prowess or even decent reflexes. Her brother and TK would always have to lower their level to hers when she played soccer or basketball with them respectively. Yet this time, she felt like she could catch them.

Magnadramon threw up her claws at the exact same time her partner did, catching the weapons easily. There was a sizzle when they made contact but other than that, she was completely unharmed. And these were supposed to be especially effective against light attribute Digimon.

"What?!" LadyDevimon yelped.

"So fast!" Reapmon gasped.

"You two," Magnadramon growled, glaring at them. Relena and Bearmon looked away from the battle and over to Kari who spoke in the same tone as her partner. "Have strayed from the path of good. In darkness, there is safety, but do not be afraid to return to the light! Dragon Fire!"

The ceiling exploded as two lightning bolts came through, striking their enemies where they stood. In a flash, the pair were thrown across the room and landed in motionless heaps. They were very much alive given that they were trying to stand back up but it was clear who the victor was. Or at least, it was clear to the DigiDestined.

"No…," LadyDevimon snarled. There was a primal ferocity in her expression as she glared at the group. "My brother… I won't let you hurt him anymore!"

Kari felt something resonate in her for a moment when she heard that. "What?"

LadyDevimon slowly dragged her body closer to Reapmon's, grabbing his arm. "I'm sorry brother." She bit down into his flesh, tearing into and letting droplets of data fall to the floor. Her sibling cried out in pain as he felt his body become loose static, his data streaming into the mouth of LadyDevimon.

"What is she doing?!" Relena screamed. "She's hurting him!"

Magnadramon flew in, hoping to cease this madness. "Stop it!"

There was a sudden gunshot. A bullet in the shape of Beelzemon's head flew through the air and struck Magnadramon in the forehead, sending her reeling backwards. The girls looked from the Mega back over to LadyDevimon to find her holding a pistol. Very slowly, from that armed hand, the rest of her body began undergoing changes as Reapmon degenerated all the way back to Impmon.

The new Digimon stood up, licking the barrel of her gun as she did so. Her body was covered in leather, the only part that wasn't was her stomach. Long blonde strands of hair cascaded down her back and while the top part of her face was covered by a mask, everyone could see the third eye gleaming on her forehead.

"Did she…," Bearmon muttered, "take her own brother's life force energy?"

"This is my true form," the new Digimon stated. "I am one of the twins of Gluttony."

"A Demon Lord," Kari whispered.

"But she's incomplete without her brother," Magnadramon reminded her. "So she's not nearly as strong as any of the others that we've faced. I can take her."

The Demon Lord raised her twin pistols and pointed one at Magnadramon and the other at Kari. "Perhaps… but not if I don't play fair."

The holy dragon bared her fangs at the humanoid Mega. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Just… watch." She spun around on her heels, firing wildly. Each shot seemed to split into three making the twenty times she pulled her triggers, sixty bullets. They flew out from the shooting zone and soared right towards Kari only.

"No!" Magnadramon roared.

She flew in and covered Kari's body which of course resulted in her getting pelted over and over again with exploding shells. Kari was horrified to hear the pained shouts coming from her partner as feathers fell around them. And while she couldn't see it, she could just feel that six out of ten wings had been clipped off of Magnadramon's body.

Relena had buried herself and her partner into her knees. Her digivice clattered to the floor, showing an encyclopedia entry for this new fearsome Digimon.

 **Digital** **Analyzer** : BelleStarmon is half of the Demon Lord duo that embodies the sin of gluttony. Much like her male counterpart, she expertly uses her twin pistols, the Rizoma de Loto. Her guns aren't the only thing to look out for. Her heels also act as firearms and the muffler around her neck is capable of shapeshifting into whatever she needs them to be.

Magnadramon was taking very slow breaths as her weight slowly pushed Kari into the ground. It was hard to keep herself up with less than half her wings. But with whatever strength she had in her, she threw herself around and shot a beam of pink light from her mouth, shooting it right towards the gunslinger.

True to the entry, BelleStarmon's muffler expanded and solidified, shielding her from the shot. The laser seemed to fly out in different directions, but all away from her body. She then raised her pistols once more and fired. "Fly Bullet!" Six rounds of ammunition whistled through the air and no matter which way Magnadramon moved her head, they followed until they hit her jaw in an ear-splitting explosion. "Hmph… that'll teach you."

Bearmon peeked out of a crevice from inside his partner's quivering huddle. "Madam Kari?"

The glow surrounding the Chosen Child was back. It didn't defend them from the strike. But it seemed to keep them standing firm, staring down the enemy.

"Tch, how stubborn," BelleStarmon scoffed. "Do you really think you can beat me in your current condition?"

"She can," Kari snapped. "So long as she uses some of my strength."

Magnadramon coiled around her partner's body, enveloped in the warmth of the light. The pair became shrouded in a data cocoon and when it burst, a new but familiar form stood there. A golden-winged angel armed with a magnificent shield in her left hand and a heavenly javelin in her right.

Kari stood beside her and while no one else could see it, there was a crimson thread tied to her pinky finger. It connected to the angel's own.

BelleStarmon's eyes flared up in rage. "Slide Evolution this time?"

"I never would've imagined that this is what the man on the moon actually did," Ophanimon remarked, delicately raising her hand to get a better look at the string. "To think that we would be a pair tied together by the red thread of fate."

Kari smiled up at her partner. "Should it really come as a surprise?"

Ophanimon giggled before raising her javelin. "No, I suppose not."

"Enough sweet talk!" BelleStarmon snapped. She fired shot after shot at the the angel, wanting just one of the homing bullets to strike Ophanimon in the throat.

Ophanimon shot forward, leaving behind an aurora-like trail behind her. Kari raised her left hand and her partner followed suit. They swung outwards like they were batting away an insect although in this case, it just repelled the bullets and sent them flying into the floor, walls, and ceilings. Then the other hand was raised, pointing the end of the weapon at BelleStarmon.

"Eden's Javelin!"

A ray of purifying light pierced the air, striking down the remaining bullets. A mere centimeter from hitting BelleStarmon's face, her muffler turned into wings, allowing her to take flight from a standing position and avoid the attack. Then from above, she fired more homing bullets, aimed right for Kari.

Ophanimon didn't even hesitate in making her decision to fly right for her opponent. But BelleStarmon could see that the brunette looked like she was trying to draw a constellation into the air. There was a shout of, "Sephirot Crystal!" Just then, nine lights zipped from Ophanimon over to the bullets, colliding with them and sending miniature fireworks bursting above Kari's head, leaving her untouched and more importantly, unharmed.

"Hurricane Screw Shot!"

BelleStarmon gracefully flipped backwards. As her body tilted, ports in her heels popped open and bullets flew out of them. They came in waves of dozens. But Ophanimon was able to deflect them by covering her face with her shield and parrying the rest with her javelin. Then, once they were face to face, the weapon was thrusted through the air, generating a powerful shockwave.

CLANG!

"She blocked it!" Relena gasped.

BelleStarmon had crossed her pistols, catching the javelin right before it impaled her jaw. She then stomped down on the angel, shooting a bullet from the heel for an extra kick. Ophanimon felt her chestplate crack as she plummeted towards the ground. But spreading her wings, she slowed her descent and released ten golden rays from those feathery appendages.

The Demon Lord's muffler guarded her from about half of the rays. The rest streaked past her body before doing U-turns and striking her in the back. Since her muffler had been forced to change from wings to a shield and being forced to take a hit from five beams, she could no longer keep herself suspended in air.

Both women twisted their bodies around as they fell, landing on their feet. The pair leapt backwards, facing each other, prepared to attack each other as soon as they saw an opening.

"Impmon!"

Everyone whipped their heads to the wall that was no longer there. The twins, Ai and Mako appeared, breathing heavily like they had run for twenty city blocks nonstop. They rushed to the side of the fallen Rookie Digimon. The boy cradled Impmon in his arms while the girl looked around before her eyes landed on BelleStarmon.

"Noir?" Ai whispered. "Is that you?"

BelleStarmon's third eye twitched twice. Slowly and silently, she raised a pistol and pointed it at Ai. "You."

"Ai, run!" Kari yelled.

"It's because of you and your brother that my precious sibling has to go through so much suffering!" BelleStarmon snapped. "If it weren't for you two then I wouldn't have had to do those things just to get my brother back!"

"How terrible," Relena muttered before shouting, "That's not how siblings should treat each other!"

Kari nodded in agreement. "No matter what kind of differences you have, you don't force one to be like you! That's not what Impmon wants!"

"Shut up!" BelleStarmon screeches, pointing her other gun at them. "What do either of you two little girls know?!"

Ai took a step forward, kicking a chair in the process. "Age has got nothing to do with it!" Ai could feel all eyes on her. Yet it was a whole lot less nerve-wracking than standing in front of her class to read a passage in English. This was something she actually felt confident about. "Siblings that love each other should listen to each other! When they fight or argue about something, you need to talk or else all that will happen is that you hurt each other!"

"You think I _want_ hurt him?!"

"Of course not!" Ai retorted. "That's why you should try to look at things from Impmon's view instead of—!"

" _His_ view? To be a human's _pet_?!" It looked like her eyeballs could roll right out of her mask. "It had been revolting enough to pretend to be one—!"

"You're my friend!" BelleStarmon froze up. "You were never my pet! At least… that's how I saw it." Ai continued walking forward despite the fact that the barrel of the firearm was still pointing in her direction. Despite that, it was like the Tamer knew the trigger wouldn't be pulled. "And I refuse to believe that our time together was fake. Even… even if it was only for a few months."

"What are you doing?!" BelleStarmon snapped. "Do you even understand what you're doing?!"

"If you shoot, Ophanimon will block it," Ai explained, standing right in front of the Digimon. The Demon Lord stood about three times as tall as the grade schooler. But standing on her tiptoes and grabbing hold of the gun in both hands, Ai lowered it so that it was pointed directly in between her eyes. "If you truly hate humans… then show me."

"Ai, what are you doing?!" Mako screamed.

BelleStarmon's finger rested on the trigger. Even the slightest touch would send a bullet straight through the girl's head. That's all it would it take. After all, humans were such fragile creatures. When they get bruised badly enough, they won't even be able to stand up anymore. They were truly pitiful and pathetic.

"Please…"

Mako looked down at his partner. "...Impmon?"

"Please… don't hurt… her," Impmon coughed. With a bit of Mako's help, he was able to look at the Mega from across the room. "Please… I remember… a lot. I know… I hurt you by… disappearing. But… I know I hurt you worse… by turning you… into the monster you… you are today…"

Ai could feel the metal in her hands trembling. No, not the metal, but the person holding it.

"You're wrong!"

"I'm not!" Impmon croaked out. "All you wanted… was to protect… the good… the innocent… and I took that away from you with my selfishness…"

"They were hurting you!"

"And _I_ hurt you!"

The story of how the Demon Lords of Gluttony emerged into the Digital World had been memorized by heart for the DigiDestined. Impmon and Salamon both had dreams of becoming protectors, members of the esteemed League of Angels. But only Salamon had been admitted. After being beaten over and over again, Impmon killed and ate one of the angels. He even forced his own sister into the practice which got them both to Dark Digivolve.

BelleStarmon's eyes were only on the tiny demon as she lowered his pistols. "Brother…"

"It seems…," Impmon chuckled dryly, "that's all I'm good for."

For some reason, this made something click inside of BelleStarmon. Her muffler expanded outwards, producing a blast of wind that knocked Ai backwards and onto the floor. The Demon Lord then flew right past Mako, taking Impmon in her hands before vanishing into the sky.

"Noir…," Ai whimpered, tear pooling in her eyes. "She and Impmon… they're gone again…"

Kari walked over to the younger girl, Nyaromon in her arms, and kneeled down to the Tamer's level. "But we know for sure that there's still good in her. Next time we face off against them, we'll definitely bring them back. I promise you that."

Ai sniffed and wiped snot onto her sleeve. "Thank you, Kari…"

 **January 24: Northbound Blimpmon — 12:25 PM**

At this point in time, the railroads had been completely demolished as collateral damage in the uprisings and battles. So the team had no choice but to travel by air. Even that could be dangerous with the Airdramon raids. Which was why Kiriha had MailBirdramon follow along beside their vehicle to fend off possible enemies just in case.

Takuya looked down at the ravaged land down below. It felt a little strange to be inside the gargantuan machine Digimon. After all, the last time he had encountered this aircraft, he had to protect Risa while trying to destroy it.

The Warrior reluctantly returned his focus back onto the scenery, or what was left of it. They'd gone far enough from the Kingdom Town to see just how much the Demon Lords had affected the Digital world. They caught glimpses of the devastation on their way to the Town but to absorb it all at once from a bird's-eye view was a completely different experience.

"Takuya, could you call Jeri and Davis in from the training room?" Kenta asked. "Lillymon's almost done with lunch."

Blimpmon was large to begin with but the inside was absolutely enormous. The main room, which was the one they were currently in, had a circular seating arrangement in the center. Clearly set up for meeting between generals to talk war tactics. The rest of the room was built like a lounge so it apparently doubled as both a meeting room and a rest area. There was a door at the back that led to a dojo. That was where Jeri and Davis were currently training as they wanted to get stronger before getting to their destination.

"It'd be good to make use of this setup too," Kiriha remarked. "We can't enter battle blindly or we'll definitely lose."

"Lunch comes first," said Kenta.

"Pu!" MarineAngemon agreed.

"Besides, we still have until tomorrow night before we get there," the Tamer reminded him. "We've got time."

Takuya was surprised to see the bespectacled boy so assertive. Especially towards someone that could be as intimidating as the blond General. It was like his confidence had grown exponentially since he first bio-merged with his partner.

The brunet clapped his hands together to get their attention. "Well, Kenta is right about one thing, we need to eat. So I'll go get the others and we can dig in!"

The training room wasn't anything special. The walls were lined with mirrors so that people could check their form. Treadmills and other such machines were against the far wall and the floor was covered in blue mats to cushion the impact of a takedown or a fall. There were also racks of dumbbells on either side of the door.

In the center of the room were two humans sparring with each other. Liollmon had decided to take both Davis and Jeri under his wing, teaching them various combat techniques to fight the Voidlings when and if it came to it. The teenagers were decent fighters but they were lacking in a variety of areas.

"Jeri, you're hesitating too much in hitting your opponent!" Liollmon called out from the sidelines. "Davis, strengthen your stances!"

Right after the lion said that, Jeri threw a powerful right jab but pulled it at the last second due to her fear of hurting Davis. Her sparring partner was able to dodge it thanks to that moment of reluctance but then his right foot got caught on his left angle because of his poor form. He fell onto his back and his head jerked backwards, giving him whiplash.

"Okay, time out!" Davis groaned.

Jeri knelt down beside him. "I am so sorry! Did I hurt you?"

Liollmon and Veemon glanced at each other before sighing in unison. They knew that their partners had potential to become strong but they were really struggling.

Takuya, who had witnessed the whole debacle, was trying to control his giggling fits. When he had calmed down enough to talk without interrupting himself, he walked towards them. "Davis, the stances that Liollmon taught you aren't just for show."

"I know," Davis muttered. "But…"

"Think of it like soccer," said Takuya. "Each of your body parts work as a team. If one part falls behind or hesitates, the entire team suffers." Davis wasn't quite sure how this analogy was supposed to work. "And knowing you, the star of Odaiba Junior High's team, I bet you wouldn't want a loss on your head." Now he got it.

"Gotcha," Davis nodded.

Takuya then looked over at Jeri. "I understand why you're scared. And it's okay. But you can't shirk practice or else you'll lose in real fight."

Jeri looked over at Liollmon. If her partner was in real danger, she'd most certainly fight back. But the other boy was right. Without proper training, she'd just become a burden no matter how hard she tried to hit back. "So how do I…"

"Focus on upping your speed and defense first," said Takuya. "Your strength will show on a real battlefield so don't worry about it right now."

"I see," Jeri nodded.

There was something invigorating about being able to pass on lessons to others. For the last few years, Takuya trained under the tutelage of his friends to become stronger. Karate from Kouji, judo from JP, dance and kickboxing from Zoey, and academic subjects from Kouichi. Okay, so that last one had basically been a lost cause. But he did learn some things from each of them. Even Tommy, back during their first adventure, taught him how to control the blazing rage of his beast spirit.

"Don't forget to use other strengths," Takuya continued. "Almost anything can be helpful in a fight. Even dance lessons."

Veemon sniffed the air, his stomach growling when he caught a whiff of cooked meat. "Is that… lunch?!"

"Training's done!" Davis was back on his feet and more energetic than ever. "Time for food!"

Everyone gathered in the meeting room and sat around the round table as Lillymon served lunch. Kiriha, refusing to let time go to waste, came up with a compromise with Kenta. They'd get a rundown of the details of what was going on at the settlement and leave the strategizing for another time.

Lillymon held up Kenta's D-Power, pulling up an encyclopedia article of a giant Digimon.

Hard armor encased his colossal body from head to toe. Imposing horns protruded from his head and his shoulders, looking sharp enough to pierce through Chrome Digizoid. In his fist was a sword that was equal to its owner in height. Even as a 2-D image, there was something menacing about the dark energy pouring from the edges and the skeletal head that was used as a hilt.

"Titamon," Kiriha read aloud.

"Scary," MarineAngemon shivered, hiding behind Kenta's head.

"So that's what's been terrorizing the settlement," said Davis. "From the appearance alone, I can tell why the citizens need our help."

Lillymon nodded before pulling up a video feed from the village itself. Or what was left of it which wasn't much. There seemed to be only rubble and Control Spires left were a thriving town once was. Not only that, but much of the land itself appeared to be completely gone.

"They're consuming the area's Fractal Code," Takuya realized.

Davis frowned, unsure of how to interpret that but it did not sound good. "Wait, what does that mean?"

"The Digimon aren't the only ones with Codes," Takuya explained. "Everything in the Digital World is made up of them. And if you consume them, you'll make the very land or sea vanish and convert it into something else. Either into fake Digimon or even add it to your own power."

"Fake Digimon?" Veemon murmured.

Davis didn't like the sound of that. "So like Arukenimon."

"Although I've only ever seen one Digimon capable of doing that."

Looking back at the feed, they could see that there were legions of ogre-species Digimon rampaging through the area. Behind them was Titamon, the hulking beast was seated on a stone throne. But as the video quality became clearer, they could see that the throne was made up of petrified Digimon.

"There's only a small underground group resisting," Lillymon explained. "The rest… are part of that chair."

Jeri had a hand to her mouth. "How horrible."

Davis noticed that the food hadn't been touched. Well, his partner was eating but Veemon was always an outlier when it came to these kinds of things. So he quickly brought everyone's attention back to the table.

"Now, now," he said, "we can keep talking about this later. Let's—!"

A black shadow flew right past the window. Jeri's eyes widened to the size of golf balls when she saw what she thought was a red bandana. So she stood up in her, knocking over her glass of juice, and raced to the glass.

"Impmon!"

MailBirdramon flew into view, dents showing on his metal face. "I saw them coming and tried to fight but… she got the better of me."

"We have to go after them!" Jeri insisted.

Even though she, out of all of them, wished to pursue the enemy most, her partner would be of no use in an air battle. So she had to watch from the window as EmperorGreymon and Magnamon took off after the shadow which MailBirdramon was able to identify as BelleStarmon. In the event that they caught up, they wouldn't fight in order to prevent Impmon's life from being at risk.

The Demon Lord covered her brother's body in her arms, holding him close to her chest. She glanced back to see the two powerful Digimon flying after her. One was a Royal Knight and the other was the Unified form of a Legendary Warrior. And she wasn't in the best shape after her previous battle. This would not end well for her.

"Hurricane Screw Shot!"

EmperorGreymon pulled out his broadsword, shielding the pair from the bullets using the flat side of his blade. Once the wave of ammunition was over, Magnamon shrouded himself in a golden light before zipping past his comrade and cutting off BelleStarmon's escape route. The Demon Lord had to use one hand to keep her three eyes from going blind.

"Tch," she clicked. "Why can't you pesky humans leave us alone?!"

"We won't let you get away," said Magnamon.

"You kidnapped our friend," EmperorGreymon added. "And you threaten the peace of the Digital World. That is something we cannot forgive. But…" He lowered his blade and the Royal Knight dulled his shine. "...we'd like for this to end without bloodshed. If you are willing, we'd like to talk."

BelleStarmon couldn't understand the Chosen Children. What convinced them to think that she could be swayed?

EmperorGreymon held out his hand but the Demon Lord misinterpreted the gesture. It appeared as if he was trying to take Impmon away from her. The very thought enraged her and she raised one of her pistols, firing at the Legendary Warrior's head.

The armored dragon exhaled, breathing out a puff of fire that protected his face from the impact. It also prevented him from seeing what happened next.

The Demon Lord spun around in the air, her wing-like muffler smacking Magnamon. The temporary disorientation allowed her to take off as fast as she could before the pair could even see which direction she had gone. It felt like they'd just failed an important mission.

 **January 25: ? — 12:02 AM**

Ryo and Suzie leaned back in their seats, furiously wiping at their mouths with what used to white cloths. The table in front of them was piled with carcasses, bones that were now completely devoid of meat. On the other side of the table were their partners who had also gorged themselves on the feast. For the last couple of hours since they returned, they had been devouring and devouring, trying to sate their bottomless stomachs.

There was a click somewhere in the surrounding darkness. Small footsteps could be heard getting louder until BlackGatomon appeared into view.

Suzie drank the rest of the contents from her goblet. The red liquid trailing down from the corners of her lips and down her chin. Once she wiped it away, she addressed the feline Champion. "You shouldn't have returned. You completely failed your mission and humiliated yourself in front of the Chosen Children."

The cat narrowed her eyes but it mustn't have looked very threatening considering she was less than a quarter of the human girl's height. But then she noticed the bones on the table. Her pupils turned into slits and the fur on her back bristled as she hissed, "Did you eat _all_ my food?!"

"Not all," Ryo said from the table. "But we should've. We deserve it more than you."

"Better be careful," Suzie smirked. "Or Ryo and I will be taking the title of the Demon Lords of Gluttony."

Just then, the Tamers heard a click and felt something cold but sharp touching the backs of their heads. Their partners stood up in their chairs, snarling at the two silhouettes that had suddenly appeared from seemingly out of thin air. They both held up a hand, a finger to the heads of the two Akumako. But energy pulsed from the tip, like they could blow out the brains of the children just by thinking about it.

BlackGatomon straightened up. "You two… You've awakened." A moment of silence passed, as if the two newcomers were waiting for orders to which the Champion gave them. Her usual calm demeanor had returned. "Stand down. Laylamon's become attached to them. Better not to raise her ire."

The silhouettes brought their hands to their sides before walking past the humans. They kneeled down in front of BlackGatomon.

Now that they were in the light, the humans could see that the pair looks identical to each other. Their legs were the barrels of enormous handguns and they both wore wide-brimmed hats. Sprouting from their backs were long, thin wings that didn't look strong enough to allow the humanoid Digimon to lift off the ground. The only difference between the pair was the colors, one wore pitch black while the other was in blood red.

"They awoke when you returned as BelleStarmon," the voice of Lucemon stated.

"Such loyal servants," Barbamon chuckled, "the one thing I thought I had before taking this form."

"Story of my life," Belphemon yawned.

The low growl of Leviamon sounded dangerously close. "How nice. I want Digimon to follow my beck and call whenever too. And not just out of fear."

The two Digimon were identified as AvengeKidmon and MagnaKidmon. They both raised their arms up to the cat Digimon and spoke in unison. "If you hunger, Mistress Belle, then you may feed upon our bodies. Consume as much as you want."

Had Ryo and Suzie retained the full range of emotions as they had once before, it would've been unnerving. The way they spoke and the things they said.

BlackGatomon crossed her arms and turned away from them. "As I have told you once before, it will not have to come to that. Besides, I have reserves." She then stared off into the darkness and said calmly, "Daemon… What was the deal you made with those sea freaks anyway?"

There was no answer at first. But then a pair of red eyes opened up in the blackness. "They wanted their queen… in exchange for their precious ocean water."

"That reminds me," Lucemon's voice said. "It appear they've cut off our supply. Without their queen, they see no point in letting their sea levels drop. In other words…" A mighty and forlorn roar traveled through the darkness, sending tremors through anything physical. "...we still have to wait a long time to see Fanglongmon's true form."

"Until then, we should have a little more fun with the human world," Laylamon giggled. "Akumako… what do you think?"

Ryo and Suzie looked over at each other. In their silence, they agreed with the Demon Lord. It would be fun to see how Earth would fare against… that.

-X-

 **Kari's found, not one, but two brand new evolutions! They even got a taste of BelleStarmon's power. But while there are still the attacks at the other two settlements to be taken down, the Demon Lords are already thinking about other places to target! Earth. Will the Chosen Children be able to pull through in the end? Find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **You know, a lot of things have gone wrong for me last year and I've started things off badly this year. But I'm hopeful that I'll be able to make a better tomorrow. So be sure to keep your hopes up too. If we work hard enough, we'll definitely make 2018 ours!**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review down below!**


	36. A Hero's Evolution

**Zero Unit** : Quick question to Yusaku-Playmaker, do you read my PMs? Because I've responded to some of your reviews but since I never get a reply, I have no idea if you see them. This is especially important because you're the sender of most of our questions.

 **Yoshino** : Speaking of which, we should try to cover as many of them as possible. Starting with one that is addressed to Momoe and Chizuru.

 **Momoe & Chizuru**: Us?

 **Lalamon** : "We know what your partners are but what is Mantarou's partner? I'd ask him myself but I don't think he's even appeared in story yet."

 **Mantarou** : Because I'm attending Kyoto College.

 **Momoe** : Whoa, where did you come from?

 **Chizuru** : More importantly, to answer your question, Mantarou doesn't have a partner. I think Kari can go more in depth on it.

 **Kari** : Right, well, Zero chose Yolei's sisters, Motomiya Jun, and Kido Jim to have partners because they were the ones I mentioned in the 02 Drama CD, _Original Story: 2003 -Spring-_. In it, I explain that multiple people started getting partners after we defeated MaloMyotismon including those four. However, I make no mention of Mantarou because he is not one of the people that becomes a Chosen.

 **Mantarou** : Which I'm fine with since I can focus on school and my girlfriend.

 **Momoe** : You're going to have to. Something's not right with her if she's dating you.

 **Mantarou** : Hey!

 **Renamon** : Not to interrupt your sibling squabble but we do have more questions.

 **Terriermon** : So we can't be wasting time! The next question is for Tagiru. "Do you still have all the Digimon you hunted before battling Quartzmon in your collection? Also, did you actually hunt SkullBaluchimon or was it Barbamon's data that you ended up with?"

 **Tagiru** : I do still have all of them!

 **Fugamon** : Here I am as proof!

 **Ogremon** : Me too!

 **Kotemon** : Don't forget that MetalTyrannomon also showed up earlier. If the first Digimon that Tagiru Hunted is with us then it's safe to assume that we're all here.

 **Yuu** : As for that other question, we did hunt SkullBaluchimon and he is viable for use. Now, at least. We had to separate his data from the Demon Lord's. We wanted to analyze the data on its own but it broke down soon after.

 **Airu** : By the way, this question about Tagiru's collection inspired much of this chapter. And you'll see why when you read!

 **Zero Unit** : Well, that's all the time we have for today but before I go…

 **Gatomon** : Another shameless plug?

 **Takuya** : He, uh… put the regular schedule on hold to post a story for Boku no Hero Academia...

 **Zero Unit** : It's for eighteen and up only due to sexual content and is a ship you'd only really get if you've read the manga though my reason why will probably be animated in season 3. Anyway, if you're interested, go check it out!

 **Davis** : But more importantly, please enjoy today's chapter!

 **Zero Unit** : I also want to post another fic for BNHA soon.

 **Everyone** : What?!

-X-

 **January 24: Kingdom Town, Ruins — 6:21 PM**

A large cauldron sat in the center of what used to be the king's courtyard. A Pumpkinmon stirred the ingredients inside, a piping hot gruel that smelled heavenly. Beside him was a Gotsumon, rapidly manufacturing bowls out of stone. There were other pairs like them working parallel to each other with massive lines leading up to them. The Chosen Children was facilitating the lines and passing bowls of pumpkin bisque out to hungry citizens.

Nene and Minervamon were handling the center line. As they caught up with each other, they also chatted with the workers. As it would turn out, they weren't just servants of Shoutmon, but Digimon that had met the very first DigiDestined, Robert McCoy's group, in the past.

"I ended up getting caught by a Dark Chain," said Pumpkinmon. "If it weren't for Rai and Candlemon, I don't know what would've happened."

Minervamon couldn't help smiling. "The more I hear about the things they did, the more I want to live up to their legacy."

"Yeah," Nene agreed. "And I'm sure we can do it."

Nearby was a large, white relief tent where the wounded went to get treatment from Cutemon's parents and others of their species. There were, of course, other healers that were moving back and forth to make sure everyone was okay. But while the injured Digimon were healing at an incredible rate, the humans that took a beating were a different story.

Henry, Rika, and Zoey were the worst cases. The male had several ugly bruises all over his body, the negative after effects from using the Uranus Cosmic Card. The blonde also suffered many burns and a couple of cuts on her limbs. In comparison, the redhead was the picture of peak health. Which wasn't to say she wasn't badly bruised.

Renamon narrowed her eyes on Zoey's companion. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"To observe," Vulpemon replied coolly. "It was the Legendary Warrior of Wind's suggestion."

Zoey wanted to shrug but her shoulders were wrapped up tight in gauze. "Well, I figured you must've seen something good to have left her alive."

"Well," said Rika, glancing back at their enemy. Former enemy? Regardless, it was true that all Rika had done last time was seal her magic. Did she really see a chance for redemption in this fox? When her mind wandered to the thought of Impmon, she found her answer. "I guess it can't hurt us that much for a Rookie to follow us around a bit."

Zoey grinned before looked over at Henry. He hadn't spoken a word since coming back but it didn't seem like he was all too moody like he was before either.

"You okay?"

Henry took a deep breath. "Yeah… it's just hard, you know?" The raging storm had subsided inside him, replaced by a drizzle. After seeing Suzie again, he came to this realization that the strongest feeling inside of him was sadness. "But I'll definitely save her."

Wisemon and his team of scientists were working in the remnants of the laboratory. They made a rather astonishing discovery when checking the overall status of the transporter. To their shock, after they had reconnected the cables to the machine, they found some unnecessary additions. As soon as they consulted with their blueprints and removed the unwanted bits, the transporter buzzed to life. It didn't lead to Earth as of yet but now they understood why they were stalled for so long.

"Unbelievable!" Yolei huffed. "Weeks without progress and suddenly, it turns out that it was some stupid mistake!"

"At least we've figured it out," said Ken.

Kouichi nodded in agreement. "By tomorrow night, we should be able to freely move between worlds."

Now that he said it out loud, another thought occurred to them. The castle was supposed to be their stronghold so that was where they were originally planning to stay. But now that it had been blown to smithereens, it would mean that they would have to vacate the premises, especially now that their location had been compromised.

"We're going to have to take this with us wherever we go next," said Wisemon.

Ken shifted his weight to one side. "We'll have to remake the connectors then."

Keenan and Kazu had a lot of catching up to do with their friends but at the moment, they were reporting their findings to the two former Chiefs of CITY. Apparently, the duo ended up finding a human settlement far in the east although it didn't stay in one spot. It was known as the Grand City of Restart.

"They said they'd be willing to take in refugees," said Keenan. "How many, we're not sure."

Falcomon looked over the lines of people getting their dinner. "We certainly weren't expecting this many to lose their homes."

Glare rubbed at his chin in thought. "Maybe we should send a group in advance to ask."

"True," Julia nodded. "I think we have enough provisions in our storage houses to last us a bit."

ChaosGallantmon looked back at the lines. "And so long as the Pumpkinmon can continue creating pumpkins…"

Everyone would eventually get sick of eating the same old thing. Kazu knew that he did at home when his mom refused to add some variety to their meals because she was too tired to try something new. But at that very moment, he wanted so desperately to eat some of her home cooking. Even if it was the same old chashu don that she likes to make.

The brunet preemptively wiped at his eyes. "I wonder… how things are going on Earth."

 **January 25: Kyushu — 8:45 AM**

Immediately after breakfast, Tagiru marched out of his grandparents' suburban house and to the family SUV. Gumdramon chased after his partner, stumbling down the steps a bit as he tried to keep up with the human's long and forceful strides. Without pausing for a second as he heard his parents yell from behind him, he yanked open the trunk and tossed his small leather suitcase inside.

"Tagiru," huffed Gumdramon. "Wait up, you're going too fast."

"Tagiru!" his mother called after. "Grandpa and Grandma are just worried!"

Tagiru slammed the trunk closed. "They were talking about us moving in!" he shouted back at her. "You drove us down here to get me away!"

His parents had thought about that and they knew their son wouldn't take the news very well but they weren't expecting this kind of blow up. He packed his stuff, swiped the car keys, and marched right out of the house. Now the entire neighborhood was curiously glancing out their windows and whispering to each other about what was going on.

"I thought you understood how much Gumdramon means to me!" Tagiru continued to yell. "I thought you understood how much I want to protect this world!"

Maybe his mother didn't. But… "Don't you understand how much _we_ want to protect _you_?!"

"Of course I do!" Tagiru had never felt this furious before.

"Then why—!"

"Because—AGH!"

Tagiru squatted down on the street, his head hitting the bumper of the car. He knew he could get a little hyperactive at times but to actually raise his voice at his parents like this… Maybe it was because he already lost someone important to him.

"Nowhere is safe," he said. His mother was just close enough to hear. "So at the very least, let us be in the same place as my friends. I can't protect you guys by myself."

"Hm?" There was a light tap like a pebble against concrete coming from somewhere. "You're more noble than I first thought."

Gumdramon was standing up straight and his eyes were darting around in every direction. He could sense something strong scurrying about, jumping from front yard to front yard. Finally, whatever it was, somersaulted through the air, a spinning blur of red and white before landing on top of the car.

"A Digimon?" Tagiru gasped.

There was no preliminary fog, no signs of intimidation, and nothing to imply that this Digimon was a threat. But at the same time, there was nothing implicating that this was an ordinary friendly visit. Not to mention, when his X-Loader analyzed him, it identified the creature as Hackmon. In other words, the very same Digimon that had attacked Takuya's group at some point in the Digital World.

"A Royal Knight?" Gumdramon muttered.

Tagiru raised his X-Loader as he backed away from the car. "Mom, go back inside."

"I would never hurt a bystander," said Hackmon, sounding genuinely insulted. "I want to see just how strong you are… Hero."

Tagiru frowned. "Hero?"

"Isn't that what you are?" Hackmon jumped down and landed in front of Gumdramon. "Although I can't imagine a puny guy like you to be capable of saving the word."

The rubber Digimon took a step forward and bared his fangs. "Hey! I'm stronger than I look!"

"Then why don't you prove it?"

"Why you… Jacked Hammer!"

Gumdramon flipped around, enlarging the hammer at the end of his tail to an enormous size and coating it in flames. But as it came rushing down, Hackmon vanished into thin air, using his incredible speed to avoid getting hit. Instead, the partnered Digimon ended up making a brand new pothole in the street and sent hot asphalt up into the air. A little bit hit Tagiru in the face, burning his skin.

"Ow!" the boy yelped. "Gumdramon, we can't fight here!"

His mother peeked out from the doorway. "Tagiru! Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine!" Now where did Hackmon go?

The Royal Knight was laying on the front hood of the car, chin resting on top of his claws like he had been asleep this entire time. But the way his tail swished back and forth told the true story. He was already bored with the Hunter-partner duo.

"This guy's really getting on my nerves," Gumdramon grumbled.

"Okay, we'll fight you seriously," said Tagiru, surprising his partner. "Let's just take this somewhere else."

Hackmon stood up. "Fine by me. I'm curious to see just how strong you really are."

"Mom, can you drive us out to the countryside?"

Mrs. Akashi couldn't believe what she was hearing from her own son. He wanted her to give a ride to him and an unfamiliar but clearly dangerous monster. And he asked of this favor as if he was asking if a friend from school could stay over. How could he be so casual about this? Did he not understand or was he just that desensitized to the absurdity already?

Still, she didn't try to convince her son not to follow through with this. After all, who knew what that caped dragon could do if his demands weren't met. Granted, they weren't really demands but it was still a safe idea to do what Tagiru wanted for the moment. In situations like these, he knew best.

It took them about thirty minutes to reach the open fields and rolling hills so in that span of time, Tagiru and Gumdramon talked strategy. It was actually Hackmon's suggestion for them to do so while he stayed on the roof of the car. It seemed as though the Royal Knight believed there needed to be a handicap of sorts so he was giving the Hunter this chance. And it seemed like a smart idea to take it.

"Okay," said Mrs. Akashi, putting the car in park. "We're here."

Tagiru stepped out of the vehicle, leaving the door open for Gumdramon to hop out. "Stay in or near the car. If things look bad, drive away."

How could he even ask that of her? But when she opened her mouth to protest, the words got caught in her throat. She found herself staring at her son's back.

' _When did he… grow up so fast?'_

Gumdramon immediately squared up. "Alright, let's do this!"

The pair stared at each other with three meters of distance between them. Even though they were tiny in comparison to the latest threats that have shown up on Earth, they were both highly skilled. The level of power they exuded was also impressive for their diminutive stature. If they fought in an urban area even in their current forms, they would cause a lot destruction.

"Ran-gum Break!"

The way Hackmon moved seemed to involve all four of his claws leaving the ground at once. He jumped around quickly, easily evading the strike of the hammer. At some point, he jumped high up into the air and once he was directly overhead, produced flames in his mouth. "Baby Flame!"

"Whoa!" Gumdramon yelped as he rolled out of the way. He then leapt up, swinging his tail around. "Try and dodge this! Jacked Hammer!"

"Fif Slash!"

Tagiru took a step back in shock. "He blocked it!"

The blunt weapon was blocked by the Royal Knight's claws. They propelled each other backwards, landing on the ground with their claws digging through the dirt as they slowly came to a halt. But as they settled down, they noticed that they weren't as okay as they each thought. There were claw marks on Gumdramon's tail and dents in Hackmon's nails.

"You're not bad," admitted Hackmon. "Guess I'll have to get a little more serious." He covered himself in a data cocoon and came out in his Champion form. "BaoHackmon!"

 **Digital Analyzer** : Through intense training, BaoHackmon has honed his skills technically, mentally, and physically to become even more fearsome than he had been in his previous form. His species can only grow into this Champion form after gaining a lifetime of combat experiences which can only be done after fighting countless powerful foes.

"We figured this would happen," smirked Gumdramon. "Tagiru!"

The Hunter raised his digivice but instead of evolving, he brought Gumdramon back. In his place, Ogremon popped out, fusing together with Fugamon as he made his appearance. "Ogremon! Fugamon! Digi-Xros!" And a new Digimon was born.

Long, grisly white hair covered his face, going down his back and partially covering his eyes. He had a wide, square jaw with a heavy underbite, his sharp canines popping out of his lips. Even though he was hunched over, he stood at least three times taller than his partner, wielding a heavy spiked club in his hand. The only thing covering his green, muscular body was a black and orange striped fur kilt with a skull buckle. "Orcmon!"

"Oh?" BaoHackmon let out a chuckle. "Does Gumdramon not want to fight me?"

"I'm conserving energy, you jerk!" Gumdramon shouted from the inside.

"If you evolve to your true form," said Tagiru, "then we're going to need Gumdramon's full strength to take you on."

"How smart," BaoHackmon chuckled.

Orcmon raised his club, saying in a gruff voice, "You better not ignore me."

 **Digital Analyzer** : Orcmon are Ultimate level Digimon that boast extraordinary brute strength. They can crush Chrome Digizoid with their bare hands and depend only on their physical abilities to completely obliterate their enemies. It is said that any two ogre Digimon fusing together can evolve into this humanoid beast, the only difference being their skin tones depending on the combination.

This was one of Tagiru's best fusions. It wasn't even made because of Taiki, Yuu, or Ryouma suggesting it. They all believed that two Digimon that were similar in ability, strength, and functionality couldn't possibly add more than a power boost for each other. But Tagiru wanted to test it out for himself and discovered Orcmon of all things. Strength-wise, he far surpassed Arresterdramon.

"Hmph," BaoHackmon scoffed. "Then I'll blow away your whole collection. Teen Blade!"

"He's copying my movements!" Gumdramon snapped.

Orcmon raised his club and blocked the slash from the enemy's tail. Then he raised his leg high and fast, nearly catching the Champion with his foot. But BaoHackmon managed to jump off the very air like it was a kickboard, soaring backwards and away from the impending impact.

"Orcmon!" Tagiru called. "Do what you do best!"

Even though Orcmon was strong, his speed, technique, and intelligence were remarkably low. So the best way for him to win battles against smarter opponents was to overpower them as quickly as possible. "Ballistic Berserker!" The club made contact with the ground and suddenly, an entire expanse of earth was uprooted, tripping up BaoHackmon. "Dynamic Crush!"

BaoHackmon could see his foe approaching, each step over the jagged stones seeming to make the ground quake. Since he couldn't get stable footing, it was impossible for him to get a clear jump. And before long, he would get smashed by the club which was coming down for his head.

"Fif Cross!"

Unlike before, when their attacks had clashed, they weren't evenly matched. The Royal Knight felt like his claws had been shattered.

Orcmon raised his weapon once more. "Dynamic Crush: Part Two!"

Enveloping himself in a data cocoon once more, BaoHuckmon instantaneously changed into his Ultimate form. He was a bipedal warrior with blades coming out from every single one of his limbs, including his tail. A shining fighter that was even taller than his opponent. And he blocked the club with one of his blade-like claws before slashing with the other.

"Orcmon, dodge!" Tagiru called out.

His partner tried but was much too slow. His side was torn open and loose data poured out from him. In that fraction of a second, the fusion broke apart.

 **Digital** **Analyzer** : After living through many years of scenes of mass carnage, BaoHackmon was finally able to evolve in SaviorHackmon. For those that he has seen suffer, he reaches out to them in order to alleviate their strife. The results may not always end well but the tears he shed in failure is what makes him strong. He earnestly comes to the rescue of those who cry for help next no matter how many times he is unable to save someone. The crystal in his chest is proof he has refined his power with all his endless efforts.

Ogremon landed on the ground with a thud. Now that he was in his original state, he was no longer able to flatten the jagged ground underneath him. "Oof… sorry Tagiru," he grumbled. "No matter how strong I am, I'm no match for a Royal Knight."

"It's fine," said Tagiru. "You did great to bring him up to Ultimate. Goldramon Reload!"

The golden dragon appeared with his hands together. Out of respect towards the Royal Knight, he bowed low to him. "It is an honor to meet." He straightened himself up. "However, I regret to inform you that our first meeting will end with you being beaten by me."

SaviorHackmon lowered himself. "Hmph, we shall see."

Tagiru's eyes were drawn to the pair of goggles that were around the Royal Knight's neck, situated just above his crimson mantle. They were on the previous forms as well. So the entire time, he kept thinking about the day he had inherited Taiki's goggles. A symbol of his worth and efforts as a hero. Could that be what he meant when he called the boy that?

Tagiru looked back towards his mother who was watching with worried eyes. In order to be truly worthy of the title, he had to protect people. That's why he couldn't fool around when his opponent was someone as strong as a Royal Knight.

"He was fast in his previous forms," said Tagiru. "Which means we'll need to match up. Goldramon! Harpymon! Digi-Xros!"

The dragon grew the powerful hind legs of his counterpart and feathers sprouted from his muscular underarms. There was a certain sheen to his six wings now as well. If he so wished, he could probably tear off the roofs of cars just by flying past. "Xros-Up Goldramon!"

From inside the digivice, Gumdramon was also watching closely. ' _Tagiru… you're really thinking about this, huh._ '

The two fighters circled each other slowly, trying to figure out just what the other's first action would be and assessing their strength. They crouched low before lunging forward at an incredible speed. Goldramon covered himself in golden light energy which acted as armor every time he struck and parried against SaviorHackmon's blades.

"Trident Saber!"

The Ultimate started spinning at an incredibly speed, the blades on his arms thrusting outward in hundreds of direction. At the same time, his tail spun around his entire body like a twister made from the slashes of a sword. Just being near it would probably cut you to shreds.

Goldramon increased the output of his energy, putting up a thicker shield than before while crossing his arms and legs in the air for added defensive measure. The blades hacked away at it and it did push the dragon back a bit. There were a few cuts left behind on his arms and legs.

With a flap of his golden wings, the partnered Digimon launched his counterattack with six blades made of golden light. "Heavenly Wind Seeker!"

SaviorHackmon made a downward slash, repelling the blades. Without missing a beat, he spun around with his tail slicing through the air. Goldramon narrowly avoided the cut by flying over the attack and as soon as he could, began firing condensed balls of energy at the Knight.

"Too slow!" SaviorHackmon scoffed. With all of his blades, he blocked every single shot.

"Tagiru," said Gumdramon. "Those moves are similar to mine as Arresterdramon."

The boy nodded. "I noticed that as well."

This kind of thing would be an advantage since they could use what they know to predict the next move. But it wasn't like Tagiru could pit the two dragons against each other in a mock battle or a sparring match even if he wanted to. And it wasn't like he could yell out the enemy's next move when they were too fast to be seen with the untrained human eye.

However, Goldramon was separate from the rest of his collection for one particular reason. The battle between him and Arresterdramon lasted five whole hours when they first met. Thus, the golden dragon became familiar with the way these types of enemies move. Especially since he always kept close watch on Arresterdramon later fights to see just if he would ever be capable of winning.

There were just two major differences between SaviorHackmon and Arresterdramon. The number of weapons they had at their disposal and their speed.

"Rage Streit!"

SaviorHackmon tucked in his body and zipped forward. Goldramon put up another shield but this one was completely blown away in an instant.

"He's really fast," Goldramon grunted before covering himself in the golden light once more and stabilizing himself. "Gold Flame!"

"Meteor Flame!"

They both burst into raging fires that took the shape of ferocious dragons. They launched at each other, burning viciously as the world around them grew bright and hot. It was much too difficult to keep your eyes open if you were close. Even worse was that inside the fire, the two dragons were duking it out, claws and fangs and even tails. Each collision seemed to create a small big bang.

In the end, it was SaviorHackmon who came out victorious which wasn't much of a surprise. He had the superior weaponry and speed, after all.

"Tch," Goldramon coughed, falling to the earth. "He's too fast to keep up with."

Gumdramon swallowed down the lump in his throat. "Tagiru, what do we do?"

There was only one plan that came to mind. They would have to restrict their enemy's movements by cornering him in some way. There were many methods to achieving that but there was someone in their arsenal that was probably best suited to the job.

"So," came Dorbickmon's voice. "The little Hunter needs a little help from a General?"

 _Tagiru sat in the back of the car, looking through the list of Digimon he had in his collection. Right beside him was Gumdramon who was making suggestions. Although his best ones were about fusing him with the strongest and fastest. Not that they could find an appropriate Digimon that fell under both those categories._

 _FlameWizardmon's magic would definitely be useful to them but his undying recklessness might make Gumdramon lose sight of the smart decisions. On the flip side, there was Kotemon who was intelligent and resourceful. But he didn't have the speed to counter the enemy's. For that, perhaps Sagomon would be the best option._

" _Yeah!" Gumdramon nodded enthusiastically. "We haven't fought together in a while!"_

 _Tagiru agreed that it sounded like a safe choice. "Smart, fast, and good technique. Maybe he should be the base."_

" _Hey!" Gumdramon pouted._

 _Even though his mother accidentally got involved in this situation and it was no laughing matter, Tagiru was still amused by his partner's reaction. But they should continue looking through the collection in case they found someone better._

" _I've never used Sakakkumon with you," Tagiru brought up._

 _Gumdramon shuddered. "That guy gives me the creeps."_

" _Yeah, I agree with you there," said the Hunter. "He works best with Jokermon anyway. Blossomon? We could restrict his movements with the vines."_

" _I'm too clumsy with those," said Gumdramon._

" _Right… GigaBreakdramon? He's super strong."_

" _Do you want me to destroy everything?"_

" _Fair point… Phelesmon?"_

 _They both considered the demon man for a moment. After all, he was capable of rendering his foes motionless with a horrid scream and even turn enemies into stone. There was no doubt that any fusion with this Ultimate would surely bring about victory for them. But at the same time, neither human nor Digimon could forget the trouble he gave them._

" _I hate to admit it…," said Gumdramon, "but our best options are between this guy and Sagomon…"_

 _Tagiru scrolled down to the end before agreeing and that's where they found their latest addition to the team. "Dorbickmon…"_

" _No," was Gumdramon's immediate answer. "The guy is awful in every sense of the word! I refuse to fuse with him!"_

 _Tagiru thought back to MetalTyrannomon, the only partner he ended up losing. The memory was still fresh so it was still painful. But he chose to Hunt the Dark General that did it anyway. It would be a waste not to use his grandiose abilities and talents. Although he couldn't force his partner to fuse with him._

"We're starting with Phelesmon," said Tagiru. "Gumdramon Reload and Super Evolve!"

SaviorHackmon smirked. "So the main event is here."

"Arresterdramon! Phelesmon! Digi-Xros!"

"Xros-Up Arresterdramon!"

The end of Arresterdramon's blade-like tail changed into the three sharp prongs of a devilish trident. The small wings sprouting from his back extended, becoming larger and more flexible. The final touch was black leather covering up his hardened body.

"Don't waste a second!" Tagiru commanded. "You'll lose sight of him if you do!"

Arresterdramon nodded as his tail lashed out. "Right! Prism Statue!"

SaviorHuckmon knew that if he were to be impaled by all three prongs, his body would instantly turn into stone. So he ducked underneath the strike, raised an arm, and looped the tail around his forearm before yanking on it. Arresterdramon came flying towards him and the Royal Knight prepared a powerful front kick. Since his leg was a sword, it would be lethal to fall victim to such an attack.

So the dragon had to think fast to counter. "Spiral Shredder!"

SaviorHackmon was forced to let go when he saw the rapidly rotating Digimon coming at him. So he quickly took off in another direction, barely avoiding get cut. They were now back to back with each other, having just missed their respective strikes.

"You really aren't bad," the Royal Knight chuckled. "I am thoroughly impressed."

Arresterdramon turned around to face his opponent head on. "Does that mean you plan on taking me on at full force?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself… Meteor Flame!"

"Dragon's Shout!" With a mighty roar, SaviorHackmon's flames were blown away as he covered his ears in pain. While he was immobile, Arresterdramon came in close and unleashed a blinding flurry of punches on his foe. "Mach Flicker!" The last one shooting the Royal Knight into the only tree in the field, toppling it completely.

"If I were you," Tagiru called out. "I wouldn't underestimate my partner."

SaviorHackmon slowly got back onto his feet, wiping at his face with the underside of his wrist. "Yes, I suppose so… Well then…"

' _Here it comes_ ,' thought Tagiru.

A data cocoon coiled around SaviorHackmon but not even a fraction of a second afterwards, the entire thing exploded into a bunch of bright shards. The cause was the newly formed Mega immediately rocketing out of it the moment his entire body had changed forms, giving birth a new and far more imposing warrior. And in that short span of time, this new Digimon slashed at Arresterdramon just once.

"A definitive blow," said the warrior, "is all it takes."

Phelesmon separated from the base with a pained scream, returning to the Xros-Loader. When Tagiru tried to talk to the demon, there was no response.

"He's not dead," Kotemon reported. "But badly damaged and unconscious."

Arresterdramon felt around his own body for a bit before coming to the realization that he was left completely unharmed despite being the base. With a look of horror, he looked at his new enemy in his periphery. Somehow, the Royal Knight was able to strike only at the Digimon he was fused with. Not only that, but he was able to practically destroy that Digimon's entire body without actually deleting him.

Brilliant platinum and golden armor along with a shredded, but still glorious mantle, this was the true form of the Royal Knight. One possessing the highest rank of Network security, armed with blades for arms, legs, and a tail just like in his previous form. On the flat surface of each was a different line of Digi-Code written on them. Surrounding him were three spirits, each with their own set of swords, made entirely out of pure energy.

Tagiru swallowed nervously. "What's with this guy?"

"The power he's emanating is completely different from Magnamon or Omnimon," Arresterdramon remarked. "Even though they've all got the same rank."

"Je suis Jesmon!" the Knight stated, commanding their attention. "My power far exceeds that of the other Knights and you will soon see why."

 **Digital Analyzer** : Jesmon was tempered and trained by Gankoomon, a fellow Royal Knight who saw the potential in him as Hackmon. His physical abilities are unbound by the laws of the Digital World, allowing him to overpower virtually any enemy without taking a single scratch. However, the only opponents he will give his all to are those he deems to be truly evil. Furthermore, each of his swords serve a specific purpose as written on them.

 **Tail-Sword:** FORCED TERMINATION

 **Left Arm:** INITIALIZE

 **Right Arm:** OVERWRITE

 **Left Leg :** TRANSFER

 **Right Leg:** COMPRESSION

Tagiru felt his body trembling. He'd never been this scared of an enemy before. Then again, this was the first time he went up against one this strong alone. Even Quartzmon couldn't count because at the time, everyone was still close enough for him to see. He saw them needing him. So he responded the way he knew how. This time was different.

Still, he couldn't falter. "Arresterdramon! Sagomon! Digi-Xros!"

"Vous n'allez pas gagner," Jesmon scoffed. (You're not going to win.)

Arresterdramon immediately shot forward once the dark mantle appeared and his counterpart's weapon made its way into his grasp. "I don't know what you just said but I'll make you eat those words! Crescent Moon Spiral!"

Jesmon raised his right arm. Tagiru remembered that that one was for overwriting. Was that the blade that he used on the other fusion. No, that couldn't be right. If that were the case, then Phelesmon wouldn't have been damaged as much as he was. The weapon that was used then… had to have been the tail.

"Overwrite!"

The two blades crashed into each other and all of sudden, Arresterdramon's body started breaking up and crackling. He was immediately separated into his two components. But because of the rules, there was no way for both of them to be out at the same time. However, just before Sagomon could return to the X-Loader, the right leg was raised and swung out, hacking at the Ultimate.

"Compress!"

Using the momentum from the swing, Jesmon spun around. For a moment, his cape hid Sagomon but when he finished his turn, Sagomon was gone.

"Wha—?" Tagiru gasped.

Arresterdramon stabilized himself and glared at the Royal Knight. "What did you do, you bastard?"

One of the golden entities was holding something tiny in between the two blades it was armed with. It looked like a microchip of sorts. But upon closer inspection they could see the face of Sagomon looking back at them. Of course, Tagiru couldn't see it from where he was.

Dorbickmon's cackle escaped from the X-Loader. "Oh man, this is rich! Hey Hunter, if you don't choose your next fusion wisely, your partner will really die!"

"Il a raison," said Jesmon. "Vous ne pouvez pas gagner." (He is right. You cannot win.)

Arresterdramon was starting to get even more frustrated. "Gah, at least insult me in a language I understand! Flog Shot!"

Jesmon blocked the blade at the end of Arresterdramon's tail with his own. They both had expert handling over their weapons, it wasn't even like they were being used as whips. They were like two professional fencers trying to get a hit in. The problem, just like before, was the difference in the quantity of weapons.

"Why do you try?" asked Jesmon.

At first glance, they looked to be evenly matched. But Jesmon was moving at an incredible speed so small incisions were made here and there on Arresterdramon's body. To make it worse, there were still those three entities to worry about even if they hadn't made a move yet. The mere fact that they hadn't just showed that Jesmon wasn't even taking this battle seriously.

"Because I have to win!" Arresterdramon shouted. "Tagiru… Tagiru has lost his fire! So I plan on bringing it back!"

The human paused before looking up. "My… fire?"

"Hm?" came Dorbickmon's voice. "Now that I think about it, you do seem different compared to when I first fought you."

"Fighting smart is great!" Arresterdramon huffed, trying his best to stay on the defensive. "But that's not your style! Fight with the passion you always had!" The dragon thought back to the day when he first met the Hunter. "Fight with the passion…" And their first battle with MetalTyrannomon and their final one with Quartzmon. "...that made me want to be your partner! Arresterdramon Superior Mode!"

"Oh?" Jesmon almost let the mode change catch him off guard but he ducked under the swinging axe-tail just in time. "So you do have more tricks."

Tagiru took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he reopened them, there a big smile on his face. "Arresterdramon!" he shouted. "We will definitely win this! And to do that… I need you to trust me on this." He then raised his X-Loader. "Dorbickmon, you're going to help us out here."

There was a pause before Dorbickmon replied with, "And why would I do that?"

"Because you hate to lose more than anything else," was the response.

"Hmph," Dorbickmon looked out of the digivice and up at the battle. It was clear that Arresterdramon was losing but… "That tiny gummy bastard has really gotten strong, huh. And it's all thanks to you. I wonder… if you can even make me stronger than I already am."

Tagiru's smile managed to get wide as he understood the translation. "Arresterdramon!"

The dragon nodded. "I trust you!"

"Dorbickmon!"

The Dark General let out a resigned sigh. "Might as well."

"Digi-Xros!"

Arresterdramon made one final push as he became covered in a bright light, repelling the enemy for a few seconds as he changed. Crimson-hued armor along with azure covered his entire body as half his face changed into Dorbickmon's. Everything was a cross between the pair except for their conjoined head. It was like they had both become the base for this fusion.

"Sharing a body…," Arresterdramon bemoaned.

"Is unpleasant, I know," agreed Dorbickmon.

Tagiru was completely stunned by this odd transformation, it had never happened before. Both of the components were somehow able to communicate with each other beyond just a mental conversation. It was as if neither one wanted to be overtaken, swallowed up by the other, so they ended up finding this compromise even if they were unsure of it being able to work.

"How unprecedented," Jesmon remarked. It was clear that he was utterly fascinated by this sudden development. "Mais c'est très incroyable. Even a Royal Knight, Omnimon, never reached this level of mutual understanding. You two must love each other deeply."

"We do not!" Arresterdramon and Dorbickmon shouted in unison.

"Wait," said Tagiru. "Mutual understanding is all it takes? So then those two…"

"We hate each other," was the unified response.

Jesmon was even more fascinated now. "Well then, you require a new name. I shall refer to you as… Detesdramon!"

"Don't go around naming people, you bastard!" the new half-and-half Digimon snapped. "We'll call ourselves whatever we want!"

"I like the name Detesdramon though," admitted Tagiru to himself.

 **Digital Analyzer** : No Information Available

The newly formed Digimon was trying to figure out what they should call themselves. They were constantly trying to talk over the other, increasing their volume as they yapped. The best thing about this fusion was that they couldn't face each other and do it, therefore, nothing more dangerous than their venomous words were being thrown at one another. Finally, they just settled on Detesdramon.

Jesmon didn't even have a movable mouth and he was smirking triumphantly. "Vous aimez le nom?" (You like the name?)

"Hm?" Arresterdramon blinked. "I… understood him then."

Dorbickmon was feeling rather triumphant himself. "Probably because I know French, unlike you, you troglodyte."

"Hey!"

The Royal Knight was starting to grow tired of waiting for his foe to stop bickering amongst themselves. For once, he'd make the first move. "Judgment of the Blade!" His arm blades shined as he flashed forward at phenomenal speed.

"Dodge—!" Tagiru called out.

Detesdramon tried to move in two different directions at once, going nowhere. But they had to do something so they bent over backwards at the waist like they were in a limbo competition. It was less than graceful but they evaded the double slashes. But then Jesmon slammed his knee down on the dragon's abdomen, striking him downwards.

"Damn it!" Arresterdramon growled.

"Hang on!" Dorbickmon snapped.

The Dark General half quickly threw down what looked to be a vein from his wrist. It stabbed itself into the ground, changing the composition into sand. This was never something that Dorbickmon was able to do before although he had thought about it before and was certainly thinking about it then. Did their fusion increase his terrain manipulation powers?

The fused Digimon landed into the soft sand, sending up fine grains everywhere. But they were safe at least.

"You guys are completely out of sync," said Tagiru.

They had assumed that since the pair was both super strong individually, then they would create an unbelievably powerful force when together. But because of this never-before-seen version of a fusion, they were just getting in each other's way. Maybe it was a bad idea after all.

"Tch," Arresterdramon was starting to get huffy. "Dorbickmon, you… that power's not bad."

Dorbickmon was also getting annoyed. "Your mobility is impressive as well. I wouldn't have reacted as fast without it."

Eh? Were they actually getting along? Somewhat?

Detesdramon let out a singular breath before glaring up at Jesmon. "We _will_ win! Infernal Shredder!"

"Weitgeist!"

The three spirits spread out and charged forward with their swords blazing. But they couldn't get near Detesdramon who repelled them easily with several quick rotations whilst covered in dark red flames. Then he got in close to Jesmon, prepared to strike him down.

"Furious Gallet!"

Jesmon quickly crossed his blades to block the blow. To his surprise, he could feel the reverberations made from the impact of the axe against his body. Never before was he unable to absorb a blow so just like the form he was fighting against, this was unprecedented.

"C'est impossible!" Jesmon gasped as he pushed back. "To think you could muster this much strength with this fusion?"

"Of course!" Detesdramon snarled. "Furious Caliber!" His tail anchor grew in size as he prepared to cleave the enemy in two.

Jesmon quickly flew backwards, avoiding the brunt of the attack. But the wind generated from the slice hit him full throttle, blowing him back a bit. Without wasting a beat, Detesdramon coated his body in flames and shot forward, colliding bodies and like a meteor, crashed into the earth together with the Knight's body up front which softened the crash on the fusion's body.

The Royal Knight recovered quickly, bouncing back onto his feet and hopping backwards. A shape made of energy materialized in front of him, looking like a giant lock although the keyhole looked more like a coin slot. With the left arm, the Knight inserted his sword. "Initialize! OS Generics!"

There it was, the one thing Tagiru read in the encyclopedia that seriously worried him. According to the entry, it rewrites the user's own data to transcend the laws of nature and physics. And they could tell from the lines of holographic code that passed over Jesmon's body that they were about to witness something unbelievable. As in, they wouldn't believe it themselves if they weren't there to witness it.

In an instant, Jesmon was behind his enemy, doing a roundhouse kick. The blade whizzed through the air at great speed.

Detesdramon couldn't even register the movement. However, due to Dorbickmon's exceptional instincts and Arresterdramon's incredible reaction time, they were able to create a stone wall in between them. But immediately, Jesmon vanished once more before even hitting the barrier.

"Think you can escape?" Detesdramon roared.

No matter where Jesmon appeared, the earth became his enemy. It rose in spikes and pillars, trying to stop his movement or at least slow him down.

"They're both good at radically different things," Tagiru realized. "But because of that… they can fill out one another's weak spots."

Jesmon noticed that as well. He also noticed that his enemy hadn't budged an inch since using his terrain manipulation. This time, they were depending on their combined observation skills and natural instincts. If he wasn't careful, he really would be crushed.

"To lose against this guy," said Jesmon to himself. "Would be a grand disgrace. Je doit gagner! Un Pour Tous!" (I must win! One For All!)

The three spirits joined up once more, meeting in front of the Royal Knight who found himself hovering high above the scene. They formed a triangle and a ray of golden light connected them. From the center burst a powerful beam of energy that scorched the land and rapidly approached the still unmoving Detesdramon.

For a moment, Tagiru worried that two of his partners would be destroyed right then and there. But he felt it in his gut. They would be just fine.

"You think that'll beat us, you bastard!" Detesdramon bellowed. "Chaos Prism Burning!"

Tagiru pivoted around on his heel. This might actually be worse than if Detesdramon just took the hit. Because if that were the case, then not everyone in this area would be blown to bits. The moment those two attacks collided, everything in the immediate vicinity would go up in flames.

"Mom!"

There was no explosion, no sound to indicate a collision, and nothing even close to the noise any form of destruction could make. So the Hunter turned back around to see a colossal ball of energy trapped inside a triangular pyramid made with the three golden spirits. It would appear that they were able to contain the massive force of the explosion within themselves. But it must've been a crazy amount of power.

"My, my, my," Jesmon sighed. "Vous êtes très dangereux maintenant." (You are very dangerous right now.)

"Says the guy that instigated it," Detesdramon barked back.

Jesmon sent the contained explosion skywards. "Well, right now, it would be stupid to finish this fight if all that will come of it is pointless destruction." He landed on the ground, the blades on his feet sinking into the dirt just a bit. "I will return when you have gained better control over your newfound power."

There was a sudden gunshot about two seconds after the spirits returned. All of a sudden, one of them jolted in surprise, dropping the microchip with Sagomon's data. It landed in Tagiru's waiting hand and in the other, the pistol that had been fired. It was created by Ekakimon who can bring drawings to life. And he practiced with the firearm in secret since he was told by the Monster Makers that he might need to protect himself at times without the help of a Digimon partner.

" _Aim for the eyes," said Robert._

 _Daisy rolled hers. "Just because it worked on Frigus, doesn't mean it'll work for everyone. You'll need crazy good aim."_

" _She's right," Shibumi nodded. "Let's just hope he never actually has to use one."_

All Tagiru wanted, was not to lose another partner. So even if his arms were trembling and his body felt stiff, he would protect them, just as they protect him. He held the chip close to him and said softly, "Welcome back, Sagomon."

"The young hero is impressive himself," said Jesmon. All of sudden, he returned to being just Hackmon. "Ca suffit! That's enough for today."

Detesdramon reverted forms as well. But just before they parted ways completely, still being connected by the foot, they were arguing with each other over which one got to stay on the physical plane. Neither wanted to go back to the X-Loader at the moment as they both had something they wanted to say to the Royal Knight's face.

"You two," Tagiru chuckled. "Arresterdramon, come back."

"What?!" Arresterdramon blanched before vanishing. "Why me?!"

Tagiru let out a short, one-syllable laugh. "I'd much rather face your rage than Dorbickmon's."

"Wise choice," Dorbickmon huffed before glaring at Hackmon. "And you! What was your purpose of facing us?"

The Rookie shrugged. "To test a hero? Who really knows?"

"You son of a—!"

Tagiru interrupted. "How do I turn Sagomon back?"

Hackmon glanced over to the human boy, contemplating whether or not he should answer. But another look at Dorbickmon's glare seemed to make him think it would be best to give a proper reply. "I can turn him back easily just by thinking about it. Don't worry, I would never kill an innocent Digimon. I would hate to do something the Demon Lords would do."

"What?" said Tagiru. "You're… not under their control?"

"No," Hackmon replied. "But my master is. So I follow along with him."

Now that the Hunter thought about it, based on how much power this small Royal Knight displayed, he probably could've easily blown away Takuya's group if he just went up to Mega. Or even one level higher. Yet he chose not to. Of course, that's just mere conjecture and not very concrete proof. But Tagiru decided to trust the caped crusader for the moment.

"So were you really testing me?" asked Tagiru.

Hackmon nodded. "You may not realize it but your power is important, hero. You are one of seven."

Seven. In other words, the very same heroes that Kuroko brought to their world in order to retrieve the Brave Snatcher, the one weapon capable of destroying Quartzmon. That would be Tai, Davis, Takato, Takuya, Marcus, Taiki, and himself. Seven.

"Like the number of Demon Lords," the boy realized.

Hackmon nodded again. "So you've figured it out. It is my personal belief that each one of you will be the ones to deliver the final attacks and bring down the Demon Lords." He paused here. "But I was most worried about you. The most inexperienced and naive of the seven. I had to make sure that you were truly the one."

"And not Ryouma or anything…"

Dorbickmon crossed his arms. "And? Did he make the cut?"

"No," was the immediate reply. But he continued. "I think you _can_ be a true hero though. Just give it time, effort, and like your partner said, don't lose that fire."

Tagiru nodded, feeling a little more confident in himself than before. But it felt like he was going to forget something important. "Ah! Sagomon!"

Hackmon clicked his tongue and chip suddenly became too hot to touch so Tagiru dropped it. In a flash, it returned to being Sagomon and immediately afterwards, he returned to the X-Loader. But as the boy and Dorbickmon looked back up, they saw that the Royal Knight was gone.

Mrs. Akashi had been watching the fight the entire time. And over and over again, she looked away. But she kept thinking about how her son talked about his partners and old fights from the past on the car ride there. He had so many experiences that she didn't even know about. So many friends that he cared for even if there was a clash of differences between them. It was clear, that this was the reason why she was able to blink, and miss Tagiru's growth.

"Mom, are you okay?" asked Tagiru.

Mrs. Akashi tightened her hold on the steering wheel and turned to her son. "I'm fine, honey." As he reached for the car door, she continued, "After lunch, we'll drive right back to Tokyo. So… be sure to say goodbye to grandma and grandpa."

Tagiru was surprised. But happy to hear this. "Thank you Mom."

-X-

 **Tagiru ended up facing off with a Royal Knight! It seemed like he was in a tight spot more than once but he came out okay! Better than that, they were able to find a brand new fusion as well as discover that Hackmon is one of the few surviving Royal Knights. But we still haven't heard from the two separated groups in the Digital World! Find out what happened to them on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **One fight for a whole chapter again. Whoo, am I tired! But I'm glad I got this done before the month ended so I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave me a review down below! I'll be waiting to hear from you!**

 **Jesmon, if he was a poor sport:** Fusion is just a cheap tactic to make weak Digimon stronger!

 **Detesdramon** : I am made of hate.

 **Zero Unit** : *Whispers* You're supposed to sing it.

 **Detesdramon** : No.


	37. One's True Worth

**Rika** : *Points to profile on computer screen* Explain.

 **Zero Unit** : I have an unhealthy obsession with _Boku no Hero Academia_ and in order to get it out of my system and get validation for my feelings, I write stories with them. *Turns to camera* So if you're interested in what a headcanon Tokoyami Fumikage's backstory to be like or want to see a 'feels like it's canon' or just like smut (I aged them up, don't worry) story then check out _The Cursed Child: Tsukuyomi_ and _Boku no Hero Cinema_ or _Tsukuyomi and Tentacole_!

 **Gatomon** : Enough with the shameless promotion! We have questions to answer!

 **Kiriha** : Right… So let's start with this one addressed to the Celestial Angels. "I know Seraphimon calls Bokomon Papa but what about Ophanimon and Cherubimon? They were also reborn along with Seraphimon so do they call Bokomon Papa as well? And would that make you siblings?"

 **Ophanimon** : *Hand to her chest* I think of you both as my dear, irreplaceable brothers.

 **Cherubimon** : Although I can't say that we're actually siblings by birth.

 **Seraphimon** : And no, those two do not call Papa, Papa.

 **Bokomon** : They like to call me Uncle. Isn't that right, my big strong angels?

 **Cherubimon** : *Turning red* Uncle, not in front of the Chosen Children.

 **Takuya** : *Leaning closer to the other Legendary Warriors and whispering* This is really weird, right?

 **JP** : *Leaning back* One of them tried to kill us on multiple occasions whether directly or by proxy and even manipulated, practically brainwashed Kouichi into trying to murder his own twin brother. So yes, this is extremely, positively, and undeniably weird.

 **Marcus** : Next question, "Could we have some TK?"

 **TK** : What? Wait, what? What does that mean?

 **Patamon** : I guess someone's been worried about your lack of appearances lately. Although in your defense, you can't really show up when you left the Kingdom Town and that's where the focus has been for last couple of chapters.

 **Zero Unit** : Don't worry TK fan, I'll definitely show more of him in this chapter.

 **Davis** : Sure, why not spoil which group you're going to focus on first.

 **Joe** : In the interest of time, we'll answer one last question. It was sent to us in all caps so it's clearly urgent. Ahem, "WHERE IS CALUMON IN ALL THIS?"

 **Marcus** : Jesus, man, you don't have to yell!

 **Jeri** : I left Calumon at home. Masahiko said he'd watch him until I got back. So unless Calumon went out, he should still be there.

 **Calumon** : Yup, there's nothing to worry about with lil' old me!

 **Zero Unit** : Also, readers, keep in mind that there is a huge cast here. If I don't mention a character in a situation where I _can_ , it just means that they aren't so important to the scene. I'm trying to run this story by giving you all the essentials.

 **Neemon** : And with that, we all hope you enjoyed this chapter!

 **Bokomon** : *Snapping his pants* Don't say it in past tense, you dimwit!

 **Ophanimon** : Uncle can go from doting to scary so quickly.

 **Takuya** : *Off-camera* Still super weird!

-X-

 **January 25: Hypnos — 9:00 AM**

Ai and Mako were being suffocated by their mother who was refusing to let go of them. Risa was being doted on by her own mother while she awkwardly waved to her quietly fuming father and grandmother in the back. Even though Yutaka was the one without a partner, it was Tommy who was being held and talked to like a little kid all over again. And Shinya was being scolded heavily for doing something so dangerous.

A shrill, Italian voice rang through the room. "Zoey, your hair!"

"Nothing on the bandages?" Zoey muttered to herself as her mother inspected her head.

Yuu looked around the crowd of people before stopping on Ryouma. "Where's Tagiru?"

"Went to visit family in the Fukuoka prefecture," the Hunter replied. "But I did get a call earlier saying that he was going to be fighting a Royal Knight." This got a big reaction out of Yuu who almost flew into a full-blown panic. "Marcus was sent ahead to give assistance, don't worry."

"We heard you guys showed off a bit," said Kouichi, talking to the new Warriors.

"Yeah, but it's hard to control," Katsuharu chuckled. "We've been training to try and do so."

The Legendary Warrior of Darkness looked over the other boy's shoulder, at Teppei who was staying in the background. "What about him?"

"I'm sure he and Grumblemon will come to a consensus at some point," said Katsuharu. "If it's Teppei, I'm sure of it."

Henry's family was silently weeping. They sat around talking in hushed tones, trying to comfort one another. It was at least a little relieving to know that their youngest was still alive. But to think that the next time they met, she would be their enemy and actively trying to kill them. It was just much too heartbreaking to think about.

Rika tugged on Yoshino's sleeve. "Did Ryo's dad say anything?"

The policewoman shook her head. "All he said was that he didn't have son."

"How cruel," Renamon remarked.

The redhead crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, watching as her family looked over any and all injuries on her twin. They did a quick once-over on the Tamer before going to check Risa, of course. It wasn't like they were going to neglect attention on one just because she held herself to be more independent than the other.

In the midst of the chaotic reunion, Ken took it upon himself to report the invasion that happened the day before to the big bosses. That meant the Monster Makers (minus Janyu), Yamaki, and Sampson. It was obviously a lot to take in.

Yolei, JP, and Nene stayed behind to watch over the newly displaced refugees and their one war prisoner who refused to tell them anything about the Demon Lords. No one wanted to pry too much so they left her alone to observe while being watched like a hawk. They also had to make sure that the transporter was working at all times.

In the meantime, they had to figure out who was going to stay behind on Earth and who got to return.

"The seriously injured members should rest at home," said Tai. "As well as all those who weren't supposed to go to the Digital World in the first place."

The others couldn't really argue with that. But it seemed they didn't need too many people in the Digital World for the time being. A lot of them wanted to rest. So Tai and Matt agreed that they would go in their place. Once Marcus returned from his day trip, he'd set off along with them since he wanted to check out the human settlement that Keenan and Kazu found.

"Thomas, Yoshino, you two want to take my place?" asked Keenan. "After everything, I think I'm ready to rest at home."

"It'll give me a chance to check on the wounded," said Thomas.

Yoshino punched her open palm. "I've been wanting to deal with the bad guys at the source anyway."

Discussions closed for the day. Everyone just wanted to have a relaxing day with their friends and families once again. It felt like a lifetime since they last had the chance to do something that didn't involve fighting or training.

 **Returning to Earth** : Kari, Ken, Henry, Rika, Risa, Ai, Mako, Zoey, Tommy, Kouichi, Yutaka, Shinya, Keenan, Relena, Yuu

 **Entering Digital World** : Tai, Matt, Marcus, Thomas, Yoshino

 **Staying in Digital World** : Davis, Yolei, Cody, TK, Takato, Jeri, Kazu, Kenta, Takuya, Kouji, JP, Kristy, Taiki, Kiriha, Nene

 **January 31: Northern Settlement — 9:13 AM**

The first thing the group did upon arrival was tend to the wounded. The city was ravaged to the point where it no longer looked like a place anyone could live in. The dinosaurs that rampaged through the flaming ruins let out earthshaking roars. They were apparently searching for survivors or stragglers, as soon as they were sure that they had destroyed everyone, they would move on to the next place.

"It's just so awful," Kristy muttered.

The settlers found a nearby cave to stay in for the time being. The humans could see everything from the mouth of the cavern as it was on the side of a cliff face. Where the Royal Knight was, they weren't sure though. Crusadermon wasn't exactly large so it was really no surprise that they couldn't see her right away. But they had hoped to spring a surprise attack on her.

Taiki and Kouji were sparring deeper in the cave. They were the best fighters among the humans. The latter starting to feel nervous about taking on Crusadermon again since last time they took each other on, he was almost always beaten in every match. But with Takato to support him, he would surely be okay. Didn't do much for his nerves though.

"Another Royal Knight," Guilmon remarked.

Takato nodded. Duke passed his title and rank of Royal Knight to the Tamer. But it felt like a lot of pressure. "It feels wrong."

"What feels wrong?" asked TK, approaching his schoolmate.

The brunet flinched, looking up. "Oh… just stuff…"

The pair watched the destruction go on like a scene out of Godzilla. The Digimon they were taking care of wanted to assist the Chosen Children so Taiki split them up to the bodily able and the too injured to move. He would be leading the able to fight and gave clear instructions to TK and Kristy to stay behind and take care of the rest just in case their hiding place was snuffed out.

"Duke asked us to be the new Royal Knight," said Takato, out of the blue. "I'm just not sure if we're worthy that."

TK could understand the worry. "If anything, I personally think you are. You're strong, resourceful, and most importantly, you're not arrogant."

"What?" Takato chuckled. "For saying I'm not worthy?"

"Isn't that how it goes on TV shows with these kinds of situations?" TK shrugged.

The boys chuckled together, thinking it was nice to laugh about something when it was hard to feel happy otherwise. Before long, the others felt ready to take on the enemy army. It would be a tough battle for them. But they couldn't let their nerves get the better of them.

"TK, Kristy," said Taiki. "If something happens, we'll be trusting you guys to protect everyone."

Biyomon did a salute. "You can count on us!"

"We'll be waiting for you either here or our other meeting place," Kristy nodded.

"Good luck everyone!" Patamon cheered, raising a fist. "We're rooting for you!"

Takato and Kouji were going to enter the city from the other side and only one minutes after the other team entered the city. They still wanted to get the jump on the Royal Knight so the plan was that Taiki's team would cause a commotion, bringing attention to him. That would allow the other two to search for their biggest problem who, in theory, should go after the General.

Taiki would lead the charge forward with Marsmon and OmniShoutmon on the frontlines. With a loud war cry from the army, garnering the attention of the destructive dinosaurs, they rushed forward. Two DarkTyrannomon attempted to release volleys of flames at their enemies but the Olympian and Digimon king broke right past the blaze, striking down the overgrown lizards in a single strike each.

Taiki saw a Vermilimon round the corner, rushing towards them. The human knew that he couldn't take on an Ultimate alone with just a sword. So his other partner, Puppetmon, dropped in from the atop one of the toppled buildings, whacking the giant beast with his mallet.

"Puppet Pummel!"

The quadruped let out a pained roar as his armor cracked. Taiki aimed for that wound as he struck as if he was in a kendo match, slicing the enemy in two. Left behind was an egg which was quickly collected by a Swanmon that tossed it into a giant wagon. They couldn't let any of them be deleted permanently even if they were working for the Demon Lords.

Puppetmon threw his strings onto a Monochromon, handing off the controls to the General. Taiki mounted the beast, prepared to ride into battle.

"Everyone!" Taiki called out. "Focus on the bipedal Digimon! They're almost all Champions and their weak spots are the legs!"

The resistance let out a roar as they followed their General. As expected, all this noise would definitely draw out their stronger foes. Zipping past the buildings was the all too familiar form of the Royal Knight, Crusadermon, coming right for Marsmon. It made sense, there was no doubt that the Olympian gave off the most threatening vibe.

"Not so fast!"

MagnaGarurumon shot through the air at light speed. He crashed into the Knight, propelling her off in another direction. He landed in an intersection but quickly vanished out of sight before Crusadermon could recover from the crash.

"Now!" MagnaGarurumon yelled.

"An ambush?" Crusadermon gasped.

Gallantmon revealed himself from behind some rubble. "Shield of the Just!"

Spinning around, the Knight raised her right arm which held her Pile Bunker, a weapon that could act as both offense and defense. She used it to block the brunt of the laser beam but it was powerful, pushing her back several meters and into the remains of a concrete building. She was buried in the metal beams and dusty debris.

"Did you get her?" MagnaGarurumon asked.

"No way was that enough," Gallantmon grimaced.

"Scarlet Tempest!"

A whirlwind pushed outwards from the Mega, freeing her from her above ground burial. Both the Legendary Warrior and the bio-merged Digimon covered their faces as they were hit with stones and metal. They knew it wouldn't be easy but to think that her armor would be shining just as much as it was before was rather daunting.

 **Digital Analyzer** : Crusadermon is one of the Royal Knights, the highest rank and title that can be given by the Sovereigns. She is a strong believer in the ends justifies the means. So long as she can attain her goal of what she personally views as justice, it doesn't matter what she has to do to get there. Of the Knights, she is the most ruthless in carrying out her duties and shows no compassion for the weak.

"You!" Crusadermon was staring directly at MagnaGarurumon. "I know you!"

"She remembers?" MagnaGarurumon muttered.

Gallantmon thought back to Duke. "Careful, her memories may have been tampered with."

"You're the one who brainwashed my fellow Knight!" Crusadermon snapped. She approached them slowly, this time looking over at the Warrior's companion. "Duke, I promise that I will free you from this villain's cruel curse!"

"And there it is," Gallantmon murmured.

Crusadermon created a net made from light. "Laser Lattice!" It flew at the pair at an incredible speed so they quickly hacked away at it with their respective weapons. But in no time, the Royal Knight covered the distance between herself and them. "Spiral Masquerade!" The ribbons that surrounded her hardened and struck out like blades being swung by highly trained swordsmen. Gallantmon and MagnaGarurumon were too slow to react so their armor got scratched up as they tried to jump back.

"Lightning Joust!"

"Magna Missiles!"

"Breath of Wyvern!"

Gallantmon and MagnaGarurumon didn't recognize that attack. But they watched as a dragon made of hot white fire burst forwards, colliding with their own moves. There was a bright flash and an explosion but once they blinked away the light, they could see Dynasmon before them.

"Hmph," Crusadermon scoffed. "Took you long enough."

Dynasmon let out a chuckle. "I finally found those cowards though. I sent your legion on them."

"Good," Crusadermon nodded.

 **Digital Analyzer** : Dynasmon is one of the Royal Knights, the highest rank and title that can be given by the Sovereigns. He is unique among the group as he has complete unwavering loyalty towards the master he serves. Meaning even if they were to be deemed evil, Dynasmon will continue to serve them with the same amount of effort as he always did. Armored in the purest quality of Chrome Digizoid and equipped with tenacious, dragon-like power, he boasts tremendous strength.

"Taiki and Shoutmon called it," said MagnaGarurumon.

Gallantmon was more concerned with what the dragon said upon arrival though. "Do you think they're going to be attacking TK and Kristy?"

"It sounded like it," MagnaGarurumon admitted. "But they should be able to take on anything thrown at them."

Crusadermon shot forward, doing the same thing to MagnaGarurumon as he did to her. Dynasmon then went to confront Gallantmon. It would appear that this was the match up the Knights decided in the end. Crusadermon wanted to personally free Gallantmon from her imagined brainwashing incident while Dynasmon always wanted to take on a fellow Royal Knight in an all-out brawl.

"Fist of Fear!" Crusadermon cried out, pouring energy into her Pile Bunker.

MagnaGarurumon, having fought with this Royal Knight on multiple occasions, knew that he would be done for if he took that attack full force. So he quickly ditched his weapons, lightening his load significantly. Then with his blinding speed, avoided getting struck. The fist did connect with the wall behind the Warrior though, causing a massive wave of destruction to go through the city.

"She seems to have gotten stronger," MagnaGarurumon remarked. But he couldn't let up as he grabbed his firearms once more and launched every single one of them. "Feral Fire!" Missiles and bullets and other sources of ammunition flew towards Crusadermon.

"Scarlet Tempest!"

"She repelled all the gunfire?!" MagnaGarurumon gasped.

"Fist of Fear!"

Once more, MagnaGarurumon abandoned his weapons, knowing that he wouldn't be able to keep up with her speed with them on. They were destroyed instantaneously with the connection of the Knight's fist with them. So the cyborg wolf had to resort to one-on-one combat. It was why he was sparring with Taiki for as long as he was, after all. He wouldn't lose like in the past.

The pair immediately engaged in fist to fist. They were both so fast that each swing of a limb sent a quick wave of wind flying off to places unknown. Each strike they almost landed on one another made a loud CRACK as their armors refused to give way to the other's intense strength.

"It doesn't matter how fast you are!" Crusadermon shouted. "Spiral Masquerade!"

It was true that she still had all of her weapons. The four ribbons being the biggest problem. But how was the Warrior supposed to relent now?

"Starburst Hunter!"

Glowing so white and bright that the sun would turn away with burning eyes, MagnaGarurumon shot forward at top speed, accelerating with each millisecond. It blew away Crusadermon's bands as she was suddenly struck a thousand times by the Legendary Warrior. Bands of lights slowly vanished after finishing the job with the Royal Knight. Crusadermon fell to her knees on the ground.

"Not bad," she admitted.

MagnaGarurumon slowly turned around only to collapse himself. There was a large wound on his stomach. It was getting hard for him to breathe and with each word he spoke, he had to cough. "You… landed a Fist of Fear… at the last second?"

"Hmph." Crusadermon pushed herself back on her feet, pivoting around. "I am a Royal Knight for a reason, mongrel."

"Why… am I always losing?" MagnaGarurumon grunted.

 _Kouji had several years of experience over each of them and a black belt in the sport. JP was a heavy hitter but so long as you didn't get hit, you were fine. Zoey was agile and flexible so it was hard to hit her but if you caught her when she tried to strike, she was done for. Kouichi was the most difficult to match as you couldn't really tell what he would do but it seemed skill still trumped mystery._

 _The only one that Kouji didn't have consistent wins against was Takuya. For them, they were fifty-fifty for every match._

" _Davis is like that too," Ken remarked. "Horrible technique but I've lost multiple times."_

 _They were taking advantage of Henry's dojo which his sensei was kind of enough to lend them on his day off. Everyone wanted to get stronger and faster so their Digimon wouldn't have to worry about them 24/7. The Warriors and anyone else with former martial arts experience personally took the others under their wing to teach them._

" _Davis, just flailing about won't help you every time," Thomas scolded._

 _The brunet was knocked onto his butt by the doctor. "Hey, it's worked fine so far for me!"_

" _Not against me," Marcus smirked. The only person in the room that hadn't lost to anyone except Thomas. "Your moves may seem unpredictable but I can tell exactly what you're thinking. You fight based on instincts which is cool and all, but Digimon that catch on will totally take advantage of the numerous openings you give." He then looked over at Takuya. "That goes for you too!"_

 _Ken took a sip from his water bottle before letting out a chuckle. "The only reason they don't lose easily is because they're relentless."_

 _It made sense. Kouji had knocked down Takuya multiple times but the other boy refused to give in, always standing back up and lunging forward once more. After a while, Kouji would get tired out and give up or accidentally leave himself open to attack._

"I'm always… giving up too soon," MagnaGarurumon huffed. "I always run away when things don't look good. But I can't. Not this time."

Crusadermon raised her Pile Bunker once more. "Stubborn fool."

Takuya's lopsided smile flashed through the Legendary Warrior's mind. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Returning to his human form, Kouji glanced up at the sky, darkened by the rising ash. The sun having been swallowed up by black clouds like it had been eaten by some horrid beast. The only source of light in this area came from the flames that surrounded them.

"You dare underestimate me?!" the Royal Knight screamed. "Fist of—!"

Kouji raised a hand, enveloped in a circle of pure light, so bright that it was blinding to Crusadermon. "I will bring light to this darkened land! Legendary Execute!" A tower of light shot skywards, like a beacon that piercing through the clouds, actually blowing away some of the ash and letting some rays of morning sunlight break through the haze. "Ancient Spirit Evolution!"

In a burst of light, a radiant Digimon in tough white armor was brought forth, standing taller than any of his previous incarnations. Held in each hand was a golden greatsword, both as large as the Royal Knight that opposed him. It was clear that this Warrior possessed power far beyond one's wildest imagination.

"Impossible!" Crusadermon gasped. "You're…!"

"AncientGarurumon!"

 **Digital Analyzer** : AncientGarurumon is the ancestor of all light-attribute Digimon. He is the embodiment of light and goes by the name, Luna, given by the Sovereigns.

It was clear that Crusadermon was intimidated by the fact that she would be fighting the original Legendary Warrior of Light. For most Digimon, when given the options of fight or flight against this mighty Digimon, would surely choose the latter. After all, there were very few Royal Knights that could ever hope to compete with this much power. Still, she continued charging energy into her Pile Bunker.

"Fist of Fear!"

AncientGarurumon stabbed the ground with his blades. "Absolute Zero!"

A wave of light washed over the area, encasing everything that was touched by the glow in a glittering layer of ice. Crusadermon was frozen in place even without touching the ground, her datastream slowing down until it stopped completely. For humans, that would mean their death. For Crusadermon and any other Digimon, it meant they had a glitch and their program was restarting which would take time.

"I cannot… how can I… lose to a villain?" Crusadermon grunted.

AncientGarurumon raised his swords once more. "I am no villain. But neither are you. You are but a victim of the Demon Lords."

"Is it… true…?"

"I'm afraid so," he nodded. "Allow me to bring you to peace. Walk towards the light…"

"...Thank you."

With a slash, Crusadermon was split in two. Her data slowly dissipated, floating off towards the sky that now allowed the sun to shine down brightly. AncientGarurumon watched this carefully, praying for her peace as never again would the world see this Royal Knight.

"There will be a Knightmon one day that will be worthy enough to take your place," said Kouji. "I'll make sure of it."

Gallantmon and Dynasmon crashed through one of the only buildings that was still standing, crumbling it to mere dust in their wake. They tumbled to the side, trying to shoot one another from across the cloud of dust but each shot was either reflected or blocked. Before long, they made it to the outskirts of the city, staring each other down.

"As expected of a fellow Knight," Dynasmon chuckled. "You don't hold back."

Gallantmon was uncomfortable with being referred to as such. "I'm no Royal Knight. But I will lead the Knights away from their current fate."

"What idiocy is this?" Dynasmon laughed. "Have you gone mad, Duke?"

Gallantmon didn't respond, just raised his holy lance. "Lightning Joust!"

The Royal Knight avoided the beam easily before flying forward. The paladin swung outwards, creating an arc with his shield in hopes to strike down the enemy. But Dynasmon quickly jumped, evading the swing and exhaled a breath of fire to engulf Gallantmon.

"Spiral Saver!"

In order to counter the blaze, Gallantmon spun around, creating a twister of fire. Both attacks collided, notably raising the temperature by a couple of degrees. It was hot enough to actually make the earth around them look like it was melting.

"Fighting fire with fire, eh?" Dynasmon grinned.

Takato, inside the Mega, materialized three cards in front of him. If he wanted to end this battle quickly, then he would have to give himself a power boost. After what happened last time, Earth Life was definitely out of the question. The repercussion were much too difficult to handle, not to mention it was much more effective to use after taking injuries. But thanks to last time, he gained two new cards, gifts from the true Royal Knight, Duke.

"Digi-Modify! X-Antibody Activate!"

An X appeared above Gallantmon's head, enclosed around him in an upside-down pyramid. When it shattered into shards of light, he had completed his form change.

Dynasmon's smile grew wider. "So you're finally getting serious! Dragon's Roar!"

Ten different colored dragon spirits shot forward, each with their own unique structure. The red was hot like fire, the white moved incredibly fast, the pale blue froze anything that got close, the yellow crackled like electricity, and the pink spiraled like a miniature twister. The other five went around, clearly going for the back, the blue made of water, the black shrouding everything, the gray like an iron blade, the green with thorns on the head, and the brown made of solid earth.

"Do not underestimate me!" Gallantmon shouted, spinning around. The blade cut down the dragons from one side while the shield protect him from the other. Once he finished his single rotation, he faced Dynasmon directly, shield in front. "Final Elysion!"

Dynasmon narrowly avoided the blast radius. "As expected of one of the strongest Knights. But you're usually not this sloppy."

Gallantmon didn't know how to explain that he really wasn't Duke. So he just rushed forward and slashed with his energy blade. There should be a big difference between their strength at the moment so Dynasmon should be completely outmatched. But then an X appeared under the Royal Knight's feet and closed around him, knocking back Gallantmon.

The paladin let out a gasp. "Don't tell me…"

"Dynasmon X!"

The new form was almost skeletal in the way Dynasmon's body was armored. They shined in the sunlight that broke out due to the tower of light in the distance. From his back, there were four thin wings, ragged and shredded but still solid.

"Takato," Guilmon muttered. "I don't like this."

"Neither do I," Takato replied.

Dynasmon cocked his head to the side. "You look surprised. Though I supposed that's a given since I never showed you this form. I will no longer be known as one of the weaker Royal Knights, you hear me? Dragon's Gust!"

All four wings pushed the wind forward, creating a powerful gale that could uproot every ageless tree in any ancient forest. Gallantmon raised his shield to protect himself but was met with the great force pushing him back, his boots dragging across the ground. Two deep lines, each over twenty meters long, marked where he once he stood and his current position.

"That's some crazy strength," Gallantmon remarked.

"I haven't shown you anything yet!" Dynasmon cackled, appearing behind the other knight.

His claws grew hot with white flames in the palm and he slashed at Gallantmon's back. But the bio-merged Digimon was able to get out of the way in the nick of time by flipping forwards. Only his cape suffered from the assault.

When Gallantmon landed, he spun around, slashing with his blade once more. "Sieg Saber!"

"Dragon's Gust!"

The wind countered the elongated blade, cancelling each other out. Both fighters charged at each other not even a fraction of a second after it died down. They slashed and hacked away at each other, blocking blows and redirecting shots that went way off into the horizon before leaving a mark. They were evenly matched in speed and power, that much was clear.

Gallantmon jumped backwards before unleashing a lightning strike from above by raising his weapon. "Royal Saber!"

"Breath of Wyvern!"

Not only was Dynasmon able to avoid getting hit by turning into his dragon form but he was able to crash into Gallantmon, doing damage as well. Gallantmon could feel his back being dragged across the earth while his front was being roasted alive by the enemy. By the time the Royal Knight was done playing around, Gallantmon's head had crashed into a boulder.

"Tch, this guy's really strong," Gallantmon admitted.

"Give up yet?" Dynasmon taunted.

"Not yet!" Takato let another card appear in hand. "Digi-Modify! New Coat of Arms Activate!" Stamina was still being wasted but at least most of his outer wounds were beginning to heal. Next, in order to counteract the X-Antibody, he would have to try a different approach instead of just brute strength. "Digi-Modify! Medieval Magic Activate!"

A magic circle appeared around Gallantmon. Ever so slowly, he changed into MedievalGallantmon, in magical armor and equipped with the lance, Dynas.

"Here we go, here we go," Dynasmon snickered. "The form I hate most."

MedievalGallantmon would raise a brow if he could. "Why's that?"

"Dynas… why do you think it has that name?" asked the Royal Knight.

If MedievalGallantmon remembered correctly, according to the encyclopedia entry, the weapon he had in hand contained the strength of a wyvern. Likewise, Dynasmon also possessed that dragon-like power. Did Dynasmon interpret this as a case of identity theft?

"I am only borrowing this power," said MedievalGallantmon. "Wyvern's strength belongs to you."

"Don't you dare patronize me! Breath of Wyvern!"

"Rage of Wyvern!"

They both launched a blazing dragon at each other. They snapped at each other, biting, trying to claw at one another. They caused the ground to shake and with each roar they unleashed, the world would pause to listen. Inside the dragons were two warriors that struck at each other even more ferociously than the feral beasts they were contained in. Dodging and striking, trying to make the other yield to their power.

"This power that I'm borrowing," said MedievalGallantmon. "It belongs to the true Duke. The one that wants this madness to end!"

Dynasmon evaded another slash from the bladed lance. "There you go again, babbling on about nonsense!"

"Let this power, that matches yours, be the thing that brings you peace!" MedievalGallantmon called out, his voice reaching the heavens. "Final Crest!" With one powerful swing, the opposing wyvern was blown away as was the Royal Knight. He was propelled far, far away, crash landing into the dirt like a comet after breaking through the atmosphere and hitting land. "Let this… be your finale."

Dynasmon stared up at the sky. At the sunlight breaking through. He could hear the footsteps of his foe coming closer to him.

"Heh… I guess I should've known I would lose," Dynasmon chuckled, his legs disappearing. "Duke chose… an appropriate replacement for him."

Takato took a step forward. "You knew?"

"Since when?" asked Guilmon.

"A while…," Dynasmon confessed. There was no way that the Royal Knight he used to envy and admire for his strength and nobility would fight the way this human-Digimon duo did. "I must admit… it was a good fight, kid. And I'm glad… that it got to be my last one."

Dynasmon always wanted Duke to fight seriously whenever they would spar against one another. He wanted to bring out the best in his fellow Royal Knight. But the only ones that could ever do that were Jesmon and Gankoomon. Those three stood at the top of the Knights, possessing power that the others simply couldn't imagine. Dynasmon hated to be looked down upon even if it was by those of the same faction.

" _I am one of the Sovereigns' highest ranked soldiers as well," Dynasmon would say. "So why won't you take me seriously?!"_

 _It was always difficult to tell what Duke was thinking. "Have I not been?"_

" _Your X-Antibody, your Medieval Mode, I want to fight you at your best!" Dynasmon demanded._

" _Then show me yours."_

"I'm sorry that I'm not Duke," said Takato.

"Don't be." Dynasmon was now just a head. "It was… a fun match."

Both Royal Knights were beaten easily, within minutes of each other. Kouji and Takato felt that they had gained strength in ways that they couldn't quite understand. They had underestimated their own power while overestimating that of the Royal Knights. Their goal of defeating the Demon Lords no longer felt so far away now.

 **January 31: Hidden Cavern — 11:23 AM**

The attack happened without warning. A massive army of Knightmon marched up the cliff, waving their swords over their heads, smashing them into the base of the incline. But they didn't realized until the ledge broke apart like a mudslide. The injured cried out in fear and horror as they started falling.

"DNA Full Charge!"

Garudamon appeared, holding the wounded back, taking them to a safer spot while TK and Kristy tried to slow their descent. Taiki left behind two members of his collection just in case, Dinohumon and Strikdramon. The pair charged forward but there was no way they could take on that many Knightmon all at once.

"Patamon!" TK called out, raising his D-3.

"Until Garudamon comes back, it's up to you!" Kristy added.

"Patamon Digivolved to… Angemon! Digivolve to… MagnaAngemon!"

With his sword drawn, the angel flew right into the fray, slashing away at them. The armored warriors fought back fiercely, using their shields to protect themselves from the laser blades before thrusting their weapons forward. While MagnaAngemon was at the same level as them, the difference in skill level was clear as day as he parried their blades and sliced them to shreds.

The only issue was that they were easily outnumbered by dozens. Kristy was armed with gauntlets and shinguards while TK had a bo staff. They were still greenhorns when it came to combat, so there was no way they would stand a chance against even one Ultimate. They had to work together just to avoid being cleaved in two by one.

"Let's try that tactic we practiced!" TK suggested.

"Right!" Kristy nodded.

TK used his staff like a pole vault, jumping over a Knightmon. As Kristy blocked the oncoming sword in her armored hands, TK input his green DigiSoul into his weapon before whacking that knight on the head. At the same time, Kristy lifted off the ground and drop kicked the knight on his breastplate. They made dents in the armor but not much else.

"Crud," TK muttered. He raised his arms to shield himself as he was backhanded, sent flying through the air and landing on the dirt hard.

"TK!" Kristy called out. She was also struck in the stomach, causing her to double over in pain. "Damn it… we're too weak."

Garudamon returned to the battlefield, picking up his partner, getting some of his feathers cut off by the blade in the process but at least the human was safe. TK was trying to get away but it felt like a rib or two might have been broken from the impact. No wonder Kari scolded him for being too reckless, it felt like he was constantly getting hurt when he fought.

A Knightmon was coming closer to him. If it weren't for MagnaAngemon impaling the humanoid through the back, it might've been the end for the human.

"Thanks," TK coughed.

The angel spread his eight wings, letting them glow softly. "Magna Antidote!"

"You can heal me later," TK grunted. "Behind you!"

"DNA Charge Overdrive!"

"Garudamon Digivolve to…!"

Eaglemon shot forward at top speed at the Knightmon with his sword raised over his head. In a single claw strike, the knight was deleted. Then turning around to face the rest, he enveloped his body in hot flames, soaring towards them in the shape of a massive bird made of fire.

"Kaiser Phoenix!"

Row after row of their enemies burst into puffs of data and before long, Eaglemon had destroyed them all. The vast difference between Ultimates and Mega was truly exemplified in this instance. Although the avian Digimon had to exert a lot more energy than usual in order to ensure the fact that his power could penetrate the armor of all those Knightmon in one fell swoop.

"Was that really it?" Kristy asked aloud. "Just the Knightmon."

TK felt suspicious of how easy that was too. Were they just strong? "I feel like there's something else here."

"Undead Soldier!"

All of a sudden, the data that had dispersed earlier, started gathering together once more. Before anyone could say or do anything about it, the fifty Knightmon they had destroyed had returned onto the battlefield. Each with their own renewed but enraged gleam in their eyes.

"What the—?" Kristy gasped.

Eaglemon flew into protect his partner once more. "How did this happen?!"

"Berserk Sword!"

Dinohumon and Strikedramon were slashed clean through, both being deleted immediately. They were Taiki's partners so they wondered, how could they tell the General that two of his allies were felled just like that. They knew they had to do something quick. Should they search for the person who brought the Knightmon back to life or deal with the army first? MagnaAngemon had his own answer to the question.

"Gate of Destiny!"

"Of course!" said Eaglemon, bursting into flames once more. "Kaiser Phoenix!"

Crashing into the earth hard enough for the Knightmon to be lifted off of it, the soldiers were sucked into the warp gate created by the angel. Using his impressive speed, Eaglemon made sure to get any stragglers, throwing them into the hole along with the rest. Before long, all fifty were gone once again. Now all that was left was to find out where their mystery foe was.

It seemed they didn't need to coax him out. He made an appearance from beyond the cliff, revealing his enormous stature.

"Who in the world?" TK gasped.

 **Digital** **Analyzer** : AxeKnightmon, a fusion of SkullKnightmon and Axemon who exchanged and drank cups of brotherhood. A first-class warrior, utilizing the ingenuity of one and the mobility of the other, easily overtaking any enemy in a flash. He wields his Twin Spear with deadly precision, every move he makes with it being highly calculated and advanced. However, while you do not want this Digimon as an enemy, having him as an ally is not much better as he will use any means to achieve perfect victory, including betraying those who trust him.

"Taiki mentioned this guy once more," Kristy grimaced. "And it was bad stories all around."

TK remembered them very clearly. This was the Digimon that manipulated Nene into doing his bidding and even kidnapped Yuu. "We can't let down our guard."

AxeKnightmon raised the Twin Spear. "I'll be sure to have my fun with you puny humans."

Outsized and outclassed, it was clear just from looking at this warrior that this was the case. But with their partners standing tall behind them, the Digimon knew they had to give this fight everything they had. So MagnaAngemon and Eaglemon spread out their wings and shot forward at top speed, hoping to at least beat him in that area.

"Excalibur!"

"Kaiser Phoenix!"

AxeKnightmon spun his Twin Spear around, creating a black twister to form. "Treason Vortex!" The pair was sucked in and crashed into each other in the storm. The humans could do nothing but watched as their gargantuan enemy smashed his bladed shoulder into them, spilling gold and white feathers out in every direction. "Shoulder Blade!"

MagnaAngemon returned to his Rookie form, his wings badly bruised. Eaglemon was durable enough to to take the hit but it still hurt badly.

"Are you guys okay?" Kristy gasped.

Patamon let out a groan as he was lifted into TK's arms. "Can I wake up from this bad dream now?"

Eaglemon flew forward again, this time not quite as straight. He zig-zagged through the air and did a few spirals in an attempt to confuse AxeKnightmon. Hopefully, the armored foe wouldn't be able to tell where the next attack would come from.

"Mystic Break!"

AxeKnightmon swung his spear around, deflecting the beams of light that could've disintegrated any other material. Then the avian shot right towards his face, trying to claw into it with his sharp talons. But AxeKnightmon backhanded the cyborg, sending him crashing into the cliffside and causing a small avalanche, burying him in dirt.

"Eaglemon!" Kristy cried out, running to the dirt pile. "Are you okay?!"

AxeKnightmon let out a small chuckle. "That should be enough to bring him running."

"Beat Slash!"

There was a flash of gold and the intense heat of fire as a new warrior appeared on the scene. From the city came OmniShoutmon, swinging his leg out which had sharpened into a blade. It was blocked by AxeKnightmon's spear but it was clear that this was the closest they were to doing actual damage to him.

"It's good to see you again," AxeKnightmon laughed. "I hope we make this meeting last a long while, OmniShoutmon!"

"AxeKnightmon," the other Digimon glared. "This time, I'll make sure to beat you myself!"

The pair immediately pulled away from one another before re-engaging. Fists ablaze clashed against the metal of the spear, sending sparks to fly everywhere. The expert maneuvering of hand-to-hand combat versus the professional handling of the dual-ended weapon showed just how strong both of the fighters were. The very aura they emanated could be felt by all viewers, feeling like they were being pushed back by the sheer force of their energy.

Taiki was still in the city, leading the army. But when his partner sensed a familiar power on the outskirts, he was given permission from his General to return and fight. This was because they both knew that neither TK nor Kristy currently possessed the necessary power to win against such a powerful foe.

AxeKnightmon lost count of how many punches and kicks he'd blocked. "You've gotten stronger!"

"I don't need your praise," OmniShoutmon huffed.

"But I wonder how far you'll be able to go without your precious General."

The ones on the sidelines had to wonder why AxeKnightmon was staying on the defensive. It may be the smarter tactic in this situation but none of their enemies in the past could ever go so long without striking back. There must've been a reason to it. Then they noticed the aggression in OmniShoutmon's attacks. Was it possible that the plan was to tire him out first?

"Don't just be offensive!" Kristy shouted. She was trying to channel her inner general. "Hit him with a big one!"

"Twin Fireball Strike!"

Flames surged into OmniShoutmon's closed fists as he pushed them outwards, impacting the spear once more but with enough force to blast AxeKnightmon back. Then he threw the fireballs, releasing them like fireworks into the sky. But AxeKnightmon spun around, using his cape to protect himself from the blast although it ended up burned in the aftermath.

"Are all humans that annoying?" AxeKnightmon scoffed before thrusting his weapon forward. "Twin Spear!"

"Victorize Banking!"

The blade broke through the blazing V, striking right through. Then, shooting forward, AxeKnightmon slashed right for his opponent's head. But OmniShoutmon ducked underneath the attack and raised his leg up high, sharpening it once more.

"Beat Slash!"

"You've even grown faster," AxeKnightmon remarked as he repelled himself just a mere centimeter from the foot.

"Don't hold back!" TK called out. "Go for the finisher right away!"

OmniShoutmon understood exactly what he was being told to do as he summoned the spiritual presence of the mighty Royal Knight, Omegamon. "Omni Core Fusion!" He then burst forward at top speed, leaving a streak of light in his wake. AxeKnightmon almost didn't have the time to shield himself as he was struck head-on by his foe.

"That's some strength," AxeKnightmon grunted as he tried to push back.

"I'll definitely beat you," said OmniShoutmon. "Whatever it takes!"

They duked it out in the sky. It was the same as before except OmniShoutmon gained the equivalent amount of power and speed to the esteemed Royal Knight. AxeKnightmon was clearly having trouble trying to keep up although he was semi-successful in doing so. Every now and then, he would get struck in the knee or arm or chest but none of the vital points to dealing a ton of damage.

AxeKnightmon could feel himself being pushed back. It was a corner that he didn't like being in. The inferiority complex that he always had from living in the shadow of his brother was starting to grow in the pit of his stomach. Except it was towards this enemy that he had held a grudge for since three years ago.

"Enough!" the warrior bellowed. "Twin Spear!"

They broke away from each other once more. While OmniShoutmon was running low on stamina, it was his opponent that was suffering.

"Ready to get serious now?" inquired OmniShoutmon.

AxeKnightmon had his hands over his wounds and was attempting to control his stertorous breathing. "How annoying… I intended on tiring you out but instead you came running at me with enough force to derail a GranLocomon. Are the words of humans that swaying to you?"

"It's not something I would expect you of all Digimon to understand," OmniShoutmon replied.

Even though they were both in severely weakened states, they continued to exude immense power. Which showed in the way they shot back at each other. In dark and light flashes, they trades blows with one another. The smoky impacts of flame-enveloped fists against the rapid whizzing of the spear through the air.

"Twin Spear!"

"Twin Fireball!"

The moment of contact of metal to metal made a huge CLANG! It reverberated through the air and sent vibrations through the onlookers. TK fell to his knees to keep himself from being blown away while Kristy just hung onto her partner's arm.

"Treason Vortex!"

"Victorize Banking!"

The twister became covered in flames, repelling both fighters backwards as they hit the ground hard. But they tumbled, getting back onto their feet without issue.

Then they stood up and fired back at each other once more. OmniShoutmon released an intense volley of flames while AxeKnightmon stabbed the air multiple times in quick succession, sending a flurry of thrusts to counter the fireballs. As they continued their individual onslaughts, they took steps towards each other until they were right in front of one another, the force of their blasts nearly blowing them away.

"Let's finish this!" they both roared.

They both threw a rocket-energized punch at one another. It connected to their faces and they repulsed like two of the same-charged magnets. They changed forms as they fell, one returning to his original form, Shoutmon, and the other splitting into two, Axemon and SkullKnightmon.

"Tch," SkullKnightmon scoffed as he stood up. "You really are a king now, aren't you."

Shoutmon knew what this was about. In the past, he wouldn't stand a chance against AxeKnightmon alone. But the hardships he had gone through in the last few years since fighting this enemy in the past had really changed him. He matured into a mighty combatant, capable of bringing down some of the strongest of Digimon through his own skill and power. A king worthy of his title.

"You're not so bad yourself," Shoutmon remarked with a smug grin.

SkullKnightmon was using a spear to help him up. "I don't like it… but I can't win as of right now."

"Eaglemon!" Shoutmon called. "Quick! Before he escapes!"

The avian was confused at first. But then SkullKnightmon mounted the back of his companion before taking off. Immediately, Eaglemon spread his wings and gave chase. However, it was clear that he wouldn't be able to catch up given that he hadn't recovered from the previous attacks.

Meanwhile, back in the city, the battles were coming to a close. With the aid of WarGrowlmon and KendoGarurumon filling in for OmniShoutmon, they were able to push back against the Demon Lords' army with ease. The civilians that had been displaced were more than thrilled to know that they had taken their settlement back and let out a cheer that rocked the earth. They lost a few to the Gizumon that arrived in waves but they were otherwise okay.

What they didn't know was that the injured had been in grave danger. AxeKnightmon hadn't just been laying in wait. As soon as Garudamon had left them alone, they were slaughtered one by one in cold blood. Their data absorbed and their negative emotions causing the sea levels to rise in the Dark Ocean. It was all part of the deal between the Demon Lords and the Deep Ones, after all.

When they found out, they were devastated. Taiki felt like he had failed. TK and Kristy felt even worse about it.

"We should've known," said TK, hammering down on the dirt in agitation. "We let so many Digimon down."

"It was too late by the time we realized," said Shoutmon. "It couldn't be helped."

Biyomon buried his head in his feathery wings. "But if I had just stayed with them…"

"Then we would've been hurt," Kristy interjected. "This is a war… it's impossible to avoid casualties."

They knew she was right. But it was a truth that was difficult for any of them to swallow, even the one who said it. They just let the civilians grieve. Taiki, as well, had to take a moment to pray for the two partners that were lost. They knew each other for a short time so he felt guilty about not knowing what to say about them.

"Maybe… it would've been different had I left Marsmon or OmniShoutmon here to begin with," said the General. "I was blinded by the fact that the Royal Knights had big titles and the fact that Gankoomon and Duke were as strong as they were. Had I known that… Takato and Kouji would be enough..."

"Stop it," said Kouji. "None of that talk will change what happened. We have to keep moving forward."

The Tamer nodded along. "Kouji's right. We should contact the Kingdom Town… and help these guys rebuild."

"Yeah," said Taiki. "You're right…" He took a deep breath and looked up. The last of the dark clouds had long since left the blue expanse. "It sure is… a nice day."

-X-

 **Taiki's group was able to secure the settlement they were sent to! But not without casualties. They unfortunately lost two more partners as well as a bunch of civilians. The Chosen Children are feeling guilty but they know Kouji is right, they have to keep moving forward! So what's going on at the other settlement? We'll find out on the next Digimon: Children of the Future!**

 **Relena: You know, this chapter felt kind of… different.**

 **Takato: Are fight scenes getting shorter? The last two took the whole chapter.**

 **Zero Unit: Yeah, no more of that. This story will never end if every fight scene takes that long. Anyway, we hope you all enjoyed and—.**

 **Mimi: Happy Valentine's Day!**

 **Zero Unit: It's a stupid holiday, what's there to celebrate!**

 **Takuya: Hm? So I guess that means you don't want people to leave reviews like Valentine's gifts then.**

 **Zero Unit: Happy Valentine's Day, my lovelies!**

 **Mimi: Sellout.**


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